Fall of EarthRealm
by Demona3870
Summary: An alternate ending to the novelization of Mortal Kombat by Martin Delrio. Sonya Blade loses the Final Kombat. Original idea revised and re-posted with permission of the author Indy Croft.
1. They're Already Here

**The Fall of EarthRealm**

_A/N: So, nearly 10 years after Ever After? was first published, I'm finally coming back to finish it. Unfortunately, I am unable to access my previous pen name, Indy Croft, or else I would have removed the story. Instead, I've taken the red pen to it and thrown in a plot, and now I have a new storyline to share with you: The Fall of EarthRealm. _

_While the beginning is pretty much the same, you will quickly see that there is a bigger story going on in the background. I look forward to taking you on this journey, and I hope you will enjoy it as well. _

Dedication: To ChibiSonya, who helped fuel the beginning of this story. Though it has obviously changed direction over the years, it still would not have come into existence without you. Hope you are doing well.

Disclaimer: I do not own the MK characters. I do claim the muse who has inspired me to finish this, though, as well as the OCs such as the Dark Lords.

_Notes for the new reader: This story rises from the novelization of the movie; here are the differences between the novel and the movie: when Sonya fought Kano, she let him live, instead planning to throw him in jail. When Shang Tsung captured Sonya, he told her she was the most amazing female warrior he'd ever seen, and demanded to possess her. He wants her as his wife, and will make her such if she cooperates by fighting him and losing in the final battle of Mortal Kombat. The chapter opens from the beginning of chapter 16 of the novelization by Martin Delrio…_

Chapter 1: They're Already Here

Inside the Black Tower, the Special Forces lieutenant and chosen warrior Sonya Blade glared with barely concealed disgust at the demonic human sorcerer, Shang Tsung. He stepped close to her, his dark robes swishing silently behind him, and gave her a chilling smile.

"Have you made your decision, young Sonya? You must fight me now, or yield Earth to the Emperor."

Sonya chewed her lip but shook her head. "No, I won't fight you, Shang Tsung. I won't play your game, whatever it is."

"But there is no else. If you don't fight me, the Realm of Earth will forfeit the tournament, and its portals will open to our great emperor."

"I do not yield Earth, it is not mine to give," Sonya replied. "But nevertheless, I will not fight."

"So be it. Take her away to prepare her for the wedding."

"No!" Sonya shouted as two monks stepped closer to her. "No, my friends will come!"

Tsung let out a quiet laugh. "They're already here."

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

The sorcerer stepped closer to her as he continued with a soft smile on his face, his voice flowing like silk. "They came to Outworld a short while ago in hopes of saving you. But they were outnumbered and captured. They are waiting in my dungeon now, waiting for you to make a decision."

"You're lying," Sonya hissed.

"Unfortunately, no. I am not." His smile became reassuring. "It was a valiant effort, but to no avail. However, as I so admire their eager determination, I will spare their lives… if you fight me now."

"I don't believe you. It's a trick, and I won't fall for it."

"You need proof? So be it." He snapped his fingers and a scuffling sound came from behind her. A few moments later, a number of monks appeared. Behind them, bound by chains and worse for wear stood Johnny, Liu and the exotic beauty Princess Kitana.

Sonya's heart pounded in her ears. "No…"

Tsung grinned. "As you can see, my sweet Sonya, this is no trick." He gestured to the three who were forced to their knees along the outer ring of the dragon engraved on the floor. "I will promise you this, Sonya. If you fight me and you lose, as you must, I will spare your life and theirs."

She eyed the sorcerer with contempt. "And if I refuse?"

"Sonya, you can't! Or Earth is lost!" Liu suddenly shouted from the side. He groaned as a monk slammed a fist into the back of his head, knocking him forward to the floor.

"Now do you believe me, dear Sonya? Your friend speaks only the truth. So I leave you with this offer: Fight me in Mortal Kombat. Do you accept my offer, or do you yield?"

The lieutenant's face reflected the deep anger that burned inside of her. The fate of millions rested on her shoulders. Her eyes drifted from Tsung's gleaming ones over to Johnny Cage, who was kneeling expressionless, his eyes never leaving her form. _What do I do_, she pleaded to him silently. He gave a simple nod, and she could almost hear him say, _You can do it. Try._

She took a deep breath and turned back to the sorcerer. With a tight nod, she declared two words. "I accept."

The two monks freed her hands and she was pushed forward into the ring. Tsung threw off his silk robe, removed the black cap atop his head, and tossed them to the side. He bowed before his opponent. Sonya stood firm, ignoring the gesture of respect.

The two stared at each other for only a moment before Tsung charged her with a spinning elbow. She ducked, blocked his left jab, his right jab, but was unprepared for the foot sweep that stole her balance. As she fell, Tsung reached for her arm, planning to spin her body and pin her down on her stomach.

Sonya went with the move, instead thrusting herself into the turn. The sorcerer flipped over her and landed on his back, while she landed on her side. She rolled into a back walkover and snapped out her leg as she arced over, nailing him in the chin as he stood. Stunned, he was unprepared for the vicious combination of quick hooks and uppercuts from his opponent. Her feet were flying at his head with incredible speed, and her punches were so focused they moved like a blur of flesh.

Cries of encouragement from the sides cheered her on, but in the end it was useless. Tsung was faster and Sonya weak from her imprisonment. Too soon she began slowing, leaving Tsung able to detect a pattern in her attack, blocking her hit for hit. She attempted a few more kicks, including a jump roundhouse toward his temple. Her attack was thwarted and she was slammed down on her back.

Shaking the dizziness away, she flipped up to her feet painfully. In a flash of black silk, Tsung came at her with his own deadly combination of skill. Sonya tried to dodge, but as one hit landed, more quickly followed. Her arms were bruised and swollen and she could barely feel them. With the last ounce of her strength, she caught an opening at his head, and kicked up with all her might.

But her foot hit only air. She felt her supporting leg bend at the knee, and she was swept onto her back. Her head slammed back onto the floor, the force so jarring it shook through her bones. Slowly, the vision of Tsung approaching her was fading around the edges. Someone was shouting for her to get up, but she felt so heavy… everything weighed so much. A dark shadow with flame filled eyes stood over her, and two words flowed into her ears before she blacked out.

"Flawless victory."

/

A flick of his wrist allowed the monks to step forward and pick up the unconscious warrior. "Take her to the room in the east wing, and see that her wounds are treated. She must be in fit condition for tomorrow's ceremonies."

"No!"

"You are in no position to argue, Mr. Cage." Shang Tsung turned with a sickening smile to the two men struggling against their captors. The third warrior, Kitana, stood stoically, expressionless, always the image of royalty.

"Rayden was right," Liu spat. "You are a coward, Tsung, a spineless lowlife with no dignity or honor. You are a disgrace to everything sacred about this tournament."

The sorcerer approached the Chosen One. "And what would you know of the sacred rules of Mortal Kombat? You, who have only lived for a few decades, what could you possibly know?"

"I know that men who fight without honor are no men at all."

Tsung's head tilted back slightly, his gaze never leaving that of the young Shaolin monk. "I kept my bargain with Johnny Cage, I challenged Sonya, I gave her a choice, and she made it. What is so dishonorable about that?"

"You ran from your fear instead of facing it," Liu answered.

"It's no secret, Shang Tsung," Johnny continued. "Liu is the best of us and you avoided him like a frightened dog with his tail between his legs. You know you couldn't win, so you rigged the tournament in your favor."

"I did no such thing," Tsung reassured in a calm voice, the smile never falling from his face as he turned to face the actor. "I am not to blame for the loss of your realm. If the blame is to go anywhere, Mr. Cage, it is to you. After all, you accepted my deal without stopping to think of the consequences. Once again, your rashness has lead to your defeat, just like with your pathetic career choice."

Johnny said nothing, the sudden tension of his jaw the only indication the sorcerer's scathing words hit their mark.

Liu noticed this and shook his head. "Your deceptions will be your downfall. I will come for you, sorcerer, and next time you won't be able to run from me."

Tsung laughed and nodded to the monks. "Take these two below to the dungeons. I will see a proper ending for them later. As for her highness," Tsung mocked to the woman who remained silent through the exchange, "see her to her chambers. She will remain there until I return."

A chilling smile graced the victor's dark features. "I must send word to the Emperor… then the destruction of Earth can begin." With mild amusement, he watched as the three were taken away, unable to deny the pleasure at hearing their cries of revenge.

"Impudent mortals." Pivoting on his foot he turned away and waved his hand up to the far wall. A portal formed and he stepped through into a giant hall decorated with blazing torches and the rotting remains of fallen warriors. At the center of the hall upon a throne of bones sat a humanoid creature with glowing red eyes. The sorcerer stepped closer to the throne, and bowed in greeting.

"Your Eminence," he announced humbly.

"Shang Tsung, my darkest sorcerer. What news do you bring me?"

The human demon straightened and smiled proudly. "Earth is ours. Flawless victory."

The hall filled with a deep rumble of laughter, its chilling drone reverberating off the walls and traveling through out the dark castle. "Excellent. Rasheem!" he barked to a nearby soldier. "See to it that the armies are sent out at once. Earth's destruction begins now."

When the soldier marched off, the Emperor again spoke to the sorcerer. "And the warriors? What of their fate?"

"They are alive, for now, until we can choose an ending fitting for them. However, I request that the female be left unharmed. I would like her for my own personal prize."

"And you shall keep her. She is not the Chosen One; she is no concern of mine." The large muscular man stroked his hairless chin. "As for the others, do with them what you wish. They are no threat. I have what I want." A slow smile spread across his dark features, his eyes blazing in anticipation.

"After 500 years, I finally have what I want."

/

Difficulty breathing. Stiff shoulders. Aching legs.

These were the things to which Sonya awoke. As her vision cleared, she looked around the dark room. Surrounding her was finely carved wood furniture and elegant tapestries hung from the high ceilings. Woven around her body were silk sheets of an emerald color, and as she sat up to take in her surroundings, they slid off her body in a cascading display of shimmers. She gasped as she noticed the black corset wrapped tightly to her pale and slightly bruised form. Anger and shame rushed through her as she realized someone had taken the liberty of dressing her while she was unconscious…

An image came into her mind with such clarity she felt the color drain from her face. She was in a dark circular room with the dragon insignia of the Tournament. Her hands hurt from the shackles that had held her. Monks were lined up around her. Shang Tsung, the Demon Sorcerer, was smiling down at her in victory. The Final Kombat.

A small gasp escaped her. With dread coiling itself in her stomach, she recalled in vivid detail the final fight that determined the fate of the Earth realm.

The fight she had lost.

Her head fell into her hands as it hit her like a shotgun blast to the stomach. She lost, and everyone on Earth was damned to become slaves of Outworld, be it they were not executed on sight by the Emperor's armies. Her realm was going to be devastated and demolished, and she could do nothing to stop it now. She had let her friends down.

Her head shot up, panic seizing her heart. Her friends… where were they now? Sonya quickly moved from the large bed and over to the door, her mind already devising a plan to find them before the wedding. She froze as another wave of nausea crashed into her. Because of her loss, Shang Tsung was going to make her his wife.

The lieutenant shook her head, squaring her shoulders. "No," she thought aloud. "I'm not going to be his anything." Her chin lifted. She was going to find her friends; they were going to escape and set things right. They would find Rayden and would stop Shang Tsung once and for all.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed her head against the door and listened for movement on the other side. Quietly, she opened the door and glanced around, relieved to find the gothic hall empty. As she moved along the dark corridor, the only sound she could hear was the soft rustle of her long black leather dress as it swept around her feet.

Her eyes drifted up to the rafters when she heard a loud flutter of wings, pausing momentarily while several dark shadows darted across the moonlight from a high window. From where she crouched, the shadows appeared huge, and Sonya remained motionless until the hall became silent again. With one last sweeping glance across the ceiling, she returned her eyes to the path before her, to find her way blocked.

Shang Tsung regarded her silently, the softest of smiles on his weathered face. A chill ran through Sonya's body.

"You are awake."

"You are astute," Sonya snapped, irritated with how unnerved she felt in his sudden presence. How had he appeared without her knowing?

He said nothing, simply smiling at her, his gaze piercing her soul in a way that made her want to claw her own eyes out. After a moment, he held out his hand to her. "Come."

"Where?" she replied, her hands remaining at her sides.

The sorcerer gave a sigh. "You have much to learn." Her hand grasped her wrist and suddenly the world shifted around her.

Sonya gasped as things came back into perspective, the acute vertigo passing as quickly as it had come. She found herself standing on a stone platform hovering in a sky of black rolling clouds and crashing thunder. Lightening illuminated the sorcerer standing next to her; the contours of his face causing shadows that made him appear almost wolfish. She shuddered at the glow in his eyes and quickly turned away. "Where have you brought me?"

"Look for yourself, dear Sonya, and get a glimpse of the world you will rule."

Sonya's breath caught in her throat, her imagination conjuring a wasteland that was once her home, but still she approached the stone railing. Everything below her was dark as another flash of lightening blinded her. Then, slowly, her night vision returned and she was left to stand in abject horror at the world revealed to her.

Beneath her was Washington, D.C., reduced to rubble and set a flame. Thousands of deformed warriors with bladed arms and jagged teeth raided the buildings that were nothing more than skeletons of scorched metal and powered brick. Humans were lined up by the hundreds, their hands and feet bound together. They were dragged along by creatures that reminded her vaguely of the deceased Prince Goro. Those that fled in terror were cornered and executed, either by a falling blade or by fire. Even from hundreds of feet up, she could hear the screams of fear and agony.

It drove her to near sickness.

As the pentagon collapsed and the White House was trampled by the four-armed creatures, Sonya turned silently to face the sorcerer. Despite the raging emotions that boiled beneath the surface of her bruised skin, she did not react, refusing to give him the pleasure of her suffering.

He continued to watch her in quiet contemplation. Something about his piercing eyes unsettled her, because she could sense no mockery or triumph in his observation. But there was something else… something that didn't look natural in this demon's evil make up… something that bordered on sympathy.

Mentally she shook herself. "I will never forgive you for this."

"I never asked for it. However, you should thank me."

"Thank you?" Sonya spat, incredulous.

Carefully, he stepped closer to her, his arms open in a gesture of offered peace. "I have saved your life, and I am offering you a chance to rule over your home world. I could have easily seen your realm completely annihilated, but I reclined out of respect for you." A soft smile formed on his lips. "And I have kept your friends alive."

In spite of herself, her eyes widened at his last words. "Why?" she questioned him, already suspecting blackmail in the works.

Ignoring her question, the sorcerer reached his hand up to caress her cheek.

Sonya snapped her head away. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

His eyebrows lifted. "Soon you won't have a choice in the matter. As for your friends, they are worth more to me alive." He turned to face the chaos before them as he continued. "For how much longer will depend on you."

Sonya felt her stomach tighten. _Haven't you done enough to me?_ she thought viciously, but she bit down hard on her tongue. Deep down, she knew he hadn't. For the dark sorcerer, he was just getting started.

As if hearing her thoughts, he turned towards her, his eyes narrowed. "Enough of this," he whispered. "We have a ceremony to prepare for." A wave of his hand and they were back in the gothic hallway in front of her room. He snapped his fingers and three female servants appeared. They were hideously deformed and walked with painful steps. Sonya could only imagine the torture they went through. "These are your escorts and your hand maidens. They will serve you in whatever way you need and request. Right now, they will help you prepare for our uniting."

"I would rather accept death." Sonya almost smiled in satisfaction at the reactions of the other women, the three cowering away in fear of the sorcerer's wrath.

Tsung simply laughed and again approached her. Sonya wanted to back away, to keep as much distance between them, but her pride kept her in place, her chin raised defiantly.

"Sonya, my beautiful warrior, you have been given a great honor. You and I, we can rule over Earth Realm together. The Emperor has bestowed upon me complete reign over this new part of Outworld, as I helped him win one of the most powerful realms in existence. You can have whatever you want; you can do whatever you please. Just ask, and I shall grant it."

"I want you to rot in hell, you spineless son of a bitch," she spat.

His calming smile never left his face as his controlled voice, soft as a summer breeze, continued to persuade her. "You have already lost your realm to the Emperor. Already he has begun taking souls of those who have resisted imprisonment. All of Earth is under house arrest, awaiting its fate. A fate that, once again, falls on you." A second time his hand lifted to her face, and he ran his fingers through her hair.

Gritting her teeth, she clenched her hands to keep from punching him, struggling instead to focus on his words and their meaning. "What are you talking about?"

"Marry me willingly, and you may decide what happens to your people. You may rule however you wish, and I will only interfere when I deem necessary." His voice dropped lower, softer, but into a more threatening tone. "But if you try to fight this union, I will subdue you into my own personal slave, and I will rule this realm with an iron fist. I will destroy what I want, who I want, when I want. And your realm will be filled with nothing more than pathetic slaves awaiting death at my hands…. your friends included."

Sonya's eyes narrowed as she weighed Tsung's hefty words. In her heart, she knew she would rather suffer death than to be his wife, but denying him would mean the utter destruction of Earth and its people, and a life of bondage for her. But if she agreed to marry him, and he kept his word, she would be the ruler of Earth… and maybe she could use that to her advantage to save thousands of lives.

Unless Tsung was lying, and this was just another sick game to twist her mind and break her will. But that was a chance she had to be willing to take. After all, it was her fault that this fate had fallen upon the earth. Now she had to do whatever she could to rectify her loss.

For countless moments, she stared the sorcerer down, and when he asked for the final time her choice, she nodded in acceptance.

Tsung's wide smile of victory made Sonya want to crawl into a corner and die. She felt as though she had just sold her soul to the devil. He addressed the women cowering by the door. "Have her ready by midnight. We will be wed on the hour of the first day of this new reign over Earth Realm. And you, my sweet," he whispered as a finger traced her jaw. "Will be mine… forever."

/

With trepidation, Sonya watched the dark moon continue its slow course across the clear sky over Outworld. Her hands were trembling, in anger or fear she wasn't sure, but she knew that no matter what she felt, she had to follow through with the dreaded events of the evening. Two of her maids busied themselves with fixing her white, silk gown which clung to her every curve. Black and green dragons clashed in intricate designs on the dress, their red eyes glowing with anger and domination.

A gong echoed through the room, Sonya's head snapping up toward the source. _I don't want to do this,_ her mind suddenly screamed, but her body stood and continued toward the door where a number of servants stood waiting patiently. The maids beckoned to her to follow them along the dark corridor. When she passed a mirror in the torch lit hallway, her paleness surprised her. Her silken blonde locks were thrown up on her head in a stylish bun with braids falling to the sides, the gold strands accentuating her soft blue eyes gone wide in anxiety. She looked hauntingly beautiful, and it made her heart sink even more.

Minutes passed in silence, broken only by the shuffling of feet, and then they were turning around a corner into a wide hall. Black flowers and tapestries woven with the most brilliant of colors decorated the room. Monks and servants alike were lined up along the walls, heads bowed as she passed on her way to the altar covered in gold fringed black cloth.

Finally, her eyes fell on the bridegroom. Surprisingly, he too was dressed in white, with dragons and demons embroidered into the silk cloth. His hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. If not for his burning eyes and lack of soul, he could almost be considered handsome. Sonya felt disgusted such a thought occurred to her.

A gloved hand stretched out to her and hesitantly she let herself be pulled up to his side. His eyes roamed over her for a moment, making her recoil slightly, and she turned her head toward the altar and the monk standing before them.

Words in a tongue she couldn't understand filled the hall, and all of Tsung's servants repeated them softly. A moment later they kneeled. Slowly she became disconnected from the horrifying event taking place around her, and as her mind wandered, so did her eyes. From the tapestries to the stone statues, she took it all in as she realized that soon this would be the world in which she would live for the rest of her life. Her eyes drifted over to the servants who lined the walls, and among them, a decoration that made her stomach twist in revulsion.

Her friends were chained together, their presence meant to humiliate the failed warriors ever more. Liu glared angrily at the sorcerer who remained oblivious. Kitana's face shifted from stoic to a look of pity for the lieutenant and her heinous fate when their eyes met. Johnny stood with taut shoulders, hands clenched at his sides, and his eyes fixed pointedly on the floor. Sonya willed him to lift his head, to forgive her for failing them, but a sudden jerk on her hand pulled her eyes back to the front, where she noticed the monk pulling their hands together, and a band being tied around their wrists.

"Reshigalok sounnamaclurel ihohasanliege." A knife appeared in the monk's free hand, and she flinched ever so slightly as he slit both their palms, causing the deep red blood to drip into a bowl below them. The monk pressed their hands together in unity, and performed a loud, deep chant that was repeated by the other servants. When the chant finished, the matrimonial cord was cut loose. It shimmered in a ring of coppery sparks that hardened to form a metallic band of entwined gold and copper on their wrists. The monk then backed away and bowed to the humans. Tsung turned to Sonya, lifted her chin, and pressed his lips to hers.

They were cold and unfeeling, and Sonya never felt more disgusted with anything in her life. Though she didn't resist him, she didn't return his embrace. Suddenly he was gone and rising, pulling her to her feet, and they were walking away from the altar. All of Tsung's servants fell into line behind them, following them without a sound. Through out the large hall, a loud gong was ringing every few seconds.

As she passed her friends, she couldn't keep herself from looking their way. Already they were being forced back to wherever they were being kept. Sonya closed her eyes as she wished that she was also being taken away with her friends, taken away from the life to which she was now committed, knowing she would rather accept a lifetime in the darkest jail than one night with the devil.

In that moment, she felt herself being pulled from her newly betrothed, and a thrill went through her as she wondered if her prayers were answered. As she opened her eyes, a strong grip seized her arm, pulling it back behind her, while a hand snaked up into her hair and ripped her head back, exposing her long neck. Through the sudden haze of pain, Sonya's eyes caught a glimpse of metal, and something cold cut into her throat. She was being dragged away from the wedding procession, and when her eyes darted around, they fell on the sorcerer's gaze.

She was surprised by the immense hatred burning in his black eyes.

"Well, now ain't this just a hell of a thing? Pretty little lassie getting married, eh? And to an enemy, no less. Seems to me she's got a darker side after all."

Sonya's blood turned to ice.

"Kano," she growled.

"Shut up!" He pressed the knife deeper into her skin.

"You incompetent fool. How dare you interfere in such matters?" Shang Tsung hissed quietly.

"I dare because I can deal quite a bargain with you for your lovely little wife."

Sonya struggled against the criminal's iron grip. "When I get the chance, Kano-"

"Now this is what we're gonna do, Mr. Shang Tsung," Kano mocked, ignoring Sonya's threats. "Me and Sonya here are gonna take a nice little walk around the city, and when you pay me for my service to you, then you get her back, and never hear from me again."

They were almost to the back of the hall. Sonya's eyes darted around, suddenly catching Johnny's face in the crowd, who watched them with trepidation and hope. It struck her that Kano's kidnapping could be a blessing in disguise once she escaped him.

Her plans were not meant to be. Kano was grabbed from behind, his grip on her suddenly gone. She was pushed away with such force she fell, and she rolled into a defensive stance as the room shook from a tremendous growl. Where Kano once stood was now a four armed and tiger striped creature, holding the Black Dragon member as he struggled in the choking grip.

"Well, well. What is this?" the creature growled loudly.

Kano struggled to speak but his windpipe was being crushed by the massive grip of the Shokanite.

"My dear," Tsung called to his wife, and when she looked up he was suddenly at her side, helping her stand. "Once again, I offer you the body and soul of your greatest enemy." He gestured to the criminal. "I place his fate in your hands. You may have our bodyguard Kintaro kill him now, or you may deal with him personally later." He smiled wickedly at her. "What shall it be?"

Sonya regarded the pitiful mortal struggling for his life. Not long ago, she wanted no more than to crush him for killing her partner, but now so many other things weighed on her shoulders. The once deep seated hatred for him was no longer the primary reason for her existence, and compared to the challenge before her, his transgressions seemed petty to the enemy she faced now.

While she still desired to see him brought to justice, Sonya had no desire for any more killing, not after seeing the destruction of Earth hours before. Her gaze shifted to the sorcerer beside her, and she felt repulsion at the anticipatory grin he gave her, expecting her to order the execution of her enemy.

She would not give him the pleasure. "I want him alive."

Tsung's face never changed. "Very well. Kintaro, take him down to the dungeons."

The Shokanite bowed before slamming Kano into the wall, rendering the struggling criminal unconscious. He was then carried away.

"Are you hurt?"

Sonya looked up at the sorcerer's quiet words. He examined her throat where the knife left a thin red line along her skin. Mutely she shook her head. He nodded and began pulling her out of the ceremonial room.

"Where are we going?" she asked him softly.

"Dinner. A great feast has been prepared by the Emperor in our honor. And after that," he turned to her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. "We will retire to my room."

For the first time in her life, Sonya wanted to die.


	2. Trust and Tribulations

Chapter 2: Trust and Tribulations

The banquet ended all too soon. The food was appetizing and lush, served on steaming plates in abundance like at the tournament. Then Tsung took her hand and placed her in the loving care of her deformed servants to be swept off for another bath in preparation her for his presence that night. Deep inside her a voice screamed for her to run, run far and fast and get away as soon as humanly possible… but reality silenced that voice with a brutal truth. So many lives were dependant upon her now…

The blonde warrior paled. She'd held up her end of the bargain, she'd gone through with the marriage. Now he would have to keep his, and let her rule over Earth as she desired. Chills ran through her. Could she really do such a thing? The military she'd worked so hard for was of an authoritarian nature; she was used to that. She knew how the system worked. One leader, thousands of followers, and a thin line of respect that when crossed could lead to dismissal, or worse, death. Could she handle being that person at the top? How would those underneath her react to her position? How would the surviving citizens of Earth react?

Sonya's fist clenched as her thoughts churned. What if Tsung were to come to her room and tell her it had all been a lie, a foolish hope to make her his wife? It was not so hard to believe that he would lie to get his way. He forced her into that final battle; he manipulated her and her friends so this would end as he constructed it. Why would things be any different with her?

…_he had looked upon her with something that resembled sympathy…_

…_he had questioned her well being, with something that she could call nothing other than concern…_

Was it possible Tsung wanted her to be more than a silent slave to rule by his side?

Sonya was jolted from her thoughts as her maids closed the door to her room. Carefully they began removing her dress and pulling her hair from its bindings. For a moment, Sonya broke from her dazed trance and snapped at the servants, proclaiming she could strip herself. All the contact was uncomfortable for her; she'd never cared much for contact with anyone after her partner's death, and she certainly didn't like being treated like a fragile object.

But her objections fell on deaf ears to the ladies that served her. They striped her completely and led her to a steaming bath lit by candles and filled with exotic oils. It was meant to be relaxing, yet too many questions worried her. What would happen tonight? What would become of her friends, of the people of Earth? Where were her parents?

Sonya's chest tightened. God, how could she have not thought about them until that moment? Memories flooded her mind and she was suddenly the twelve year old girl who climbed trees and scraped her knees, then she was sixteen and captain of the volleyball team, then she was signing up for Officer's Candidate School, and then, oh God, Danny was missing for months, and her father returned from identifying the body, and how her mother cried-

The plug was yanked from the porcelain tub and Sonya was whisked away again, to be pampered with sweet smelling powders and soft silk outfits that were incredibly revealing. A glance in the mirror showed off her beautiful skin, surrounded by the thin material of her night gown. For a lover, she may have looked exquisite. For Shang Tsung, she believed herself to look nothing more than a whore.

Sonya never felt so sickened in her life. Was this what she was destined to be until her dying day, perhaps even longer than that, if Tsung took her soul? He owned her in every other way, why not own her spirit as well?

She shook her head with vehemence. She would never allow it… he would never own her spirit or break it. She would resist him until she could find a way to end everything. Life in slavery was never meant for her, being a prisoner of war was never set in her destiny. Shang Tsung would never win this battle.

She continued to stare at her reflection while the maids finished their preparations and quietly slipped out. Her gaze fell to her bandaged palm, and her heart constricted again. The cut had been deep. It would leave a scar. This was her wedding ring, a scar that would never fade; a permanent reminder of the terrible event that took place not hours ago, and the nightmare that her life would soon become.

It overwhelmed her. In a rare moment of panic, she felt like she was suffocating. She couldn't do it. Eyes darting around her, she realized she was completely alone, and her gaze fell on the door. It was the perfect opportunity…

She suddenly turned and bolted from the room, away from the bed she didn't want to lie in, away from the responsibilities she didn't want to bear, away from the destiny she wanted no part of. With all her weight, she threw herself against the door, swinging around it as it opened, and tore off down the hallway. She didn't know where she was going; she didn't care, as long as it was away, far away…

She only got as far as the first stairwell before she was lifted several feet into the air and held there as glowing red eyes stared at her in question and mild amusement.

"Is there a problem, my lady?"

Sonya's brain couldn't produce an answer fast enough, causing Motaro to chuckle at her speechless state.

"Muteness in a wife is a treasured quality among my kind. Tsung will be quite pleased to see you practicing it already."

The ex-lieutenant's tongue snapped back into action as quickly as her military bearing. "A person married to someone as dumb as you would need to be mute to avoid confusion when she opens her mouth."

A slight chuckle was the centurian's initial reply. "You should learn, and learn quickly, to give respect where respect is due, human. You are still nothing more than a pathetic mortal with no powers, and a tongue like yours will get you killed quicker than you think. You are not immune."

The insult to her gender and her race snapped her back into action. The panic induced state was quickly forgotten. Sonya's eyes became crisp and her voice harder than cold steel. "You are in no position to talk, mule. You addressed me as "Lady". That title remains, mortal or not. And you will obey my orders. Now, put me down!"

Temptation to defy made the creature hesitate.

"Do as you are told, soldier, or I will see you dealt with for disobeying a superior's order."

With a growl, he complied.

"And never threaten me like that again. I doubt you are immune, either."

His eyes blazed brighter and he snarled at her. "I still don't understand what he sees in you unless it is the pleasure of seeing you broken in, something I would love to do myself."

Sonya's steady glare did not falter. "It couldn't be more pleasurable than when he broke you in, something I would have loved to do myself."

Motaro's arm lifted high above her, brandished as if to strike, but it merely smoothed through his hair as he chuckled softly. "You're not as brave as you act, female. Shang Tsung will see your true colors soon, and then you will be tossed aside as a servant or slave, and it will be my will you bend to, not the other way around."

Sonya laughed. "A rubber band couldn't bend to your will, let alone me."

"We shall see."

"I doubt that."

Both turned at the new voice. Against a pillar, the sorcerer leaned causally. His eyes revealed nothing, but waves of displeasure rolled from him.

Motaro immediately stepped back with a bow and kept his eyes lowered. "Sorcerer Tsung."

Sonya watched the centaurian's reverence with mild surprise. In mere seconds, he changed from a threatening beast to a quiet pet.

"What are you doing out here, my dear? I expected you to wait for me in our room."

"I-" Blankness drew in her mind. Fear was why she had run, wasn't it? She couldn't tell him that. "I'm not a prisoner here, I will move round as I please."

"She was sprinting through the hallway, lordship." Motaro was unmoved by her icy glare.

"Really?" Tsung's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Wanting a bit of exercise, I presume? There are places for such activity, though I'm sure you'd rather save your energy for now. If exercise is what you want, I can promise you'll be getting plenty of it tonight." Tsung's smile spoke a thousand words.

Sonya's blood froze as she translated every one of them.

"Motaro, return to your post. See to it that everything is secured in the palace. We don't want to be disturbed tonight." The centaurian nodded and began to move off. "And make sure to practice the proper respect to be given to my wife. If you ever treat her again this way, you shall pay homage to her in your blood."

Motaro stiffened slightly, clearly not pleased with the sorcerer's words. However, he made no voice of his thoughts, bowed again and granted the female warrior a respectful apology before stomping off.

"You must excuse his rude behavior. He just has a strong distaste for humans." Tsung smiled slightly. "He will get over that, though, or I will deal with him on a level he would be sure to understand."

Sonya wanted to shiver at the ice in his gaze. His voice was just as hard as those near black eyes. There was no mistaking the menace in his voice. But despite the obvious threats, the lingering dangers, the bad blood in the air, Sonya was just as stunned as Motaro was angry at Tsung's reaction to their conversation. He had been incredibly protective of her. It left Sonya feeling uncomfortable.

Tsung's cold gaze disappeared, and he smiled. "You don't need to be frightened of me."

Sonya couldn't help bristling a bit. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Then why did you leave the room?" Tsung tossed back casually.

"I am not a caged animal. I will walk where I please," she replied arrogantly.

"You may do a lot of things here, Sonya. You have been granted more power than you can possibly fathom right now." He stepped closer, into her personal space, gripped her elbow firmly to keep her from moving and lowered his lips inches from her ear. "But lying to me, defying me and running from me will not be tolerated. You are bound to me and to my rules, and you will obey them."

"And if I don't?"

Tsung pulled back to look into her blue eyes. His lips curled in a small smile. "Shall we return to our room?"

But before Sonya could answer, they were already there. Briskly he turned and walked into the connecting sitting room adjacent from their bed. Sonya was left, frozen to the spot, heart pounding beneath her pale skin, eyes roaming with disgust at the place she had earlier tried to retreat.

_I have to keep it together. I can't let him win._ Sonya turned away from the bed and walked over to the dresser, placed her hands upon the top and leaned slightly forward to look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed in anger, her hands white at the knuckles. What had she gotten herself into? How could she get out? What would he do to her if she kept fighting him?

_Don't sleep with him, Sonya. Don't play his game_, she argued back to the doubting questions arisen by her consciousness.

_I don't want to die here._

_Don't stop fighting him._

_I can't fight forever._

_Don't dishonor your friends._

Surprised to see the sudden dampness in her eyes, Sonya shifted her gaze from the mirror to the table top. Crying was a weakness she couldn't afford to be seen having.

_I let them down. They trusted me, and I failed them._

And she had no clue what happened to them after the wedding. They were taken away and not seen again. A fear ran through her. Were they dead? Tsung wanted them killed from the start of the tournament, Liu especially. Kitana, the secret savior of Outworld and plotter against Tsung, wouldn't be given a very forgiving fate either.

Johnny was beheaded. Kitana was torn limb from limb. Liu was beaten to death. All of their souls were stolen by Tsung. The images kept flashing through her mind, moving like a river of blood and endless pain. Sonya's eyes closed tight, trying to black them out, trying not to believe, but the hurt and the anger, the injustice and the sorrow, it was too much.

Why did she have to lose the final kombat?

"You are distraught."

Sonya turned sharply, gripping the table behind her to keep her balance. Tsung stood in the doorway, holding two black goblets and watching her with a calm expression, his eyes indifferent. Hidden in those black depths, beneath the flames that flickered inside, Sonya could see lust, and she was suddenly more infuriated than she could ever remember.

"I'm married to a demon who's ordered the destruction of my world! You'll forgive me for not being in the best of spirits right now!" she spat. "No, on second thought, screw you! I don't need your forgiveness for _a goddamn thing_!"

Tsung's eyebrow arched and he smiled lightly, clearly unaffected by her outburst. "I love your spirit. Few women and even fewer men can compare to your bravery. It was the one thing, aside from your unearthly beauty, that so captivated me." He stepped forward into the room.

"Sweet talk will get you nowhere," she growled.

"You make the assumption I'm trying to change you. I'm not."

"No, you just want to break and enslave me. You will do neither."

"Of course not," he replied smoothly, as smoothly as he walked up to her and held out a goblet filled with dark liquid. "Those things do not interest me. I only want to protect you, and to give you everything you desire."

Sonya regarded him disdainfully. "Why do you threaten me one moment and worship me the next?"

"You are a difficult creature," he responded, ignoring her question as he set down both drinks. "You have been a challenge from the start, and will remain one for many days to come. Being such a pampered and uninhibited human from Earth, you will have much to learn in ways of respect for myself and others. I do not want to hurt you in any way, but I may be forced to inflict discipline if you cannot conform to your new lifestyle. And if you must be made an example, I will not hesitate to do so. You may be my wife, but you are still a female, and do not have nearly as much importance or power as I."

Sonya glared at him.

Tsung chuckled softly. "Many have questioned my choice and I will agree with them that you do not seem the type appropriate for such a position of power. However, there are things about you that have enticed me. I am willing to set aside your less appreciated points for the greater picture. You are a woman worth fighting for, and I am an excellent fighter. I could teach you so much, I could give you everything, everything you ever wanted and needed, if you'd let me."

Sonya's heated gaze never faltered. "Do you think I'm too stupid to know its all lies and games?"

"I have no need of such tactics. I can see into your heart, I know you hate and fear me and despise our marriage. But this union is complete, and will remain that way forever. You are mine, and I am yours."

"Next you're going to want me to love you, too."

Tsung gave a half smile. "I never mentioned love. It is a weakness I do not want. I want power and position, and trust, which you will find is a rare thing."

Sonya scoffed. "I trusted no one before, I will trust no one now. Especially not you."

"In only the space of a few days, you came to trust your fellow combatants; you came to trust them so much that you truly believed they would come and save you at the tower. I saw it in you." He stepped closer to her, his voice dropping to an intimate whisper. "I know that soon you will trust me as well; which is why I will not force you into consummating our marriage tonight. This is my way of proving to you that I hold you in higher regards than you think. I will respect your space and give you time to adjust to your new marital status."

Her questioning and unconvinced look did not go unnoticed. "This is not a trick, Sonya. I do want your trust, and I will wait for it. I can be patient. For someone as powerful and challenging and," his eyes roamed over her quickly, "seductive as you, I will wait."

"Then I hope you don't mind waiting forever and a day."

Tsung laughed softly and again picked up the two goblets, carefully pressing one into her hand. "Not at all. Our union will last much longer than that, I assure you." He raised his goblet a bit into the air. "A toast to us, my lady, and to the trust that will grow from our bond." He clinked his glass to hers and drank.

Sonya did not. Instead, she remained stoic and silent, not even protesting as he took her free hand and kissed the knuckles.

"Good night, my Sonya. Sleep well." He turned.

"Where are they?"

Tsung continued walking, opened the door, and stepped out into the hall.

"Trust works both ways, Tsung."

The closing of the door paused.

"You want to earn my trust by giving me time. But I need your trust as well." She moved from the dresser, stepping closer to the door. "Where are my friends?"

Moments passed in silence. Then, "They are still here, awaiting a fate that remains undecided."

Sonya's breath caught in a flash of relief. They were still alive. "Whatever fate you decide for them, sorcerer, I will bestow upon myself." She paused to let the words sink in. "And you don't need to worry about a lie in those words."

If Tsung was affected by her words, he made no show of it. "I will be sleeping in the west wing. Call for your servants if you need me, and they will show you the way." The door closed without another word from the demon.

Thoughts raced through Sonya's mind, hopes and plans and a sudden rush of determination, a will she thought she had abandoned hours before when Tsung kissed her as his wife. Her friends were alive. That gave her reason to hope. If she could get to them, find them and free them, they could bring Tsung down, and all of this would be only a horrible dream.

Sonya set to searching the room for paper and a writing instrument. She had work to do.


	3. A Picture's Worth

Chapter 3: A Picture's Worth…

At dawn, Sonya was awakened and pulled from the soft blankets of the luxurious bed by her hand maidens. Her body was still drained from the plans she had tried to concoct the night before in her mad attempt to determine a rescue plan for her friends. She hadn't come up with much, too many factors having presented problem after problem denying her a successful escape attempt. She didn't know where she was, where her friends were, what numbers she was up against, and she had no idea the extent of Tsung's power when his anger was piqued.

Truly, Shang Tsung was the biggest danger of all. He could read her like a book. If she gave any indication of her plans, any reason for doubt, he would see it, and would likely kill her friends, right before her, and punish her for trying to defy him.

So before she had fallen asleep, she came to the conclusion that her plan of attack would take time; she would learn everything she could about her situation, would earn Tsung's trust, and would learn to hide her betrayals as Kitana did. For starters, she had to block out any thought of escape. Out of mind, out of sight of Tsung's soul searching.

After her bath and dressing, Sonya looked at herself once more in the mirror and mentally shook away everything she had thought of the night before. She erased her memory of her plans, focused her mind to become a blank sheet, let other thoughts of nothingness enter her mind.

Her eyes settled on her dress. The top clung like a second skin, but the bottom flowed out with the grace and elegance of a river of gold. She couldn't help the slight curl of disdain in her lips; she'd never cared for dresses because they were always too girlish for her. But something about the way it fit her, the way it showed off her eyes and lit up her hair, the way it made her posture seem so much more regal, the way it demanded respect…

"Good morning, Sonya."

The blonde's eyes shifted to the man standing in the doorway.

"Tsung," she replied dully, refusing to be startled by his unwanted presence.

He stepped into the room and dismissed the servants. A pleased smile greeted her when he placed a chaste kiss on cheek, and she did not move away. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Well enough." With her short reply she turned away from him and moved to examine a picture on the opposite side of the room.

"I hope you don't run from me at the induction in a fortnight. It will make us both look bad, and I won't tolerate anything but perfection."

"What induction?" Sonya asked flatly without looking at him.

"The ceremony that will introduce us as the ultimate rulers of new Earth." His footsteps padded softly on the carpet as he stepped up beside her. "That evening, we will enter Earth and greet our people at the tower that has been erected for us. Then," his hand brushed through her hair and rested lightly on her shoulder. "You will put into effect whatever plans you have for your new world. You will appoint your own council, you will determine the laws, and you will put into effect whatever politics you want."

H voice became soft and calming, with a tone that almost matched affection. "But first," he added, sliding his hand down her arm to take her elbow, "you need to learn how to be a proper ruler."

Sonya looked at him and recoiled slightly. "What are you talking about?"

His only reply was a secretive smile. "Come and have the morning meal with me."

Swallowing shards of glass sounded more appealing than eating with this man. Instead, she swallowed quietly and answered, "All right."

Tsung looped his arm through hers and pulled her toward the door. But before they stepped out, Sonya pulled her arm from his.

"I prefer to walk myself." She was careful to make sure her tone left no room for argument, but wasn't bitter. Tsung would know she would want to fight him as much as possible, but she wanted him to think that she was beginning to soften to him, if only slightly. To be suddenly willing and affectionate to his charms would be too out of character for her, so she had to make her changes subtle. She had to take her time.

/

Tsung regarded her for a moment. He was not pleased at her request, she was again defying him, probably to get under his skin, but he knew forcing her would only result in a widening rift between them. The smolder of anger at her insubordination was quickly dampened as he nodded his consent and let her step ahead of him. From behind, he admired the way she carried herself with such confidence, and with the independent air that was her life blood. Desires raced through him that he once thought had died with his mortal self those thousands of years ago…

_A man who dwells in the past cannot proceed into the future._

There were more important things to be concerned with in the present, anyway. Like Sonya's lessons. He smiled slightly. He would make her a powerful leader, hopefully powerful enough to be met by the Dark Lords. So much could result from such a move. He could finally get the power he longed for. A sideways glance at his wife made his ego inflate a little more. Everything was falling into place…

"If you would like a tour, my dear, I could give one to you this evening."

Sonya seemed startled at his words, but quickly covered it up with, "I have no interest here."

The sorcerer chuckled inwardly; he could tell she was lying. Honestly, he couldn't understand why she insisted on being so stubborn. "It would be best that you know your way around the Tower. I won't always be here to escort you."

"Pity," she replied with fake disappointment.

"Save your pity for the weak; such emotions will bring disgrace upon you." He avoided the disdainful glimpse from his wife at being chastised while he steered her into the dinning hall. The room was no longer decorated in honor of the marriage, but it still held a breathtaking appearance in a dark tone that made it haunting and beautiful. Upon the long table, hundreds of different types of foods were presented, ranging from breads to meats to substances he was sure Sonya would not recognize.

The two sat and shared the meal in near silence. Sonya ate sparingly.

"You will need you strength," Tsung said quietly.

"Why? What do you have planned for me?" Sonya replied without looking up from her plate.

"For now, simple teachings. You will learn about the other realms, the history and importance of the tournament, and about the Elder gods who oversee everything." Sonya's posture straightened just a bit at the mention of gods. "He's dead."

She paused and looked at him. "Who?" she asked in feigned ignorance.

"Your thunder god."

Sonya was stunned into a temporary silence. When her shock subsided, she shook her head. "I don't believe you. Gods can't be killed."

The unconvincing tone in her voice made Tsung smile. "Like I said, you have much to learn."

/

Sitting in a room at the highest point of the tower, glancing dispassionately at the old spells from the first war, Tsung couldn't help but let his mind drift. A week had passed since the defeat of Earth Realm and Sonya was as cold to him as when they first met on the _Dragon Wing_. She displayed a lack of interest in her studies, but he could see she was taking in the information quickly and adequately. Already she had learned and understood the creation of all, the positions of the First through the Seventh, the gods that had come about and their children, and she was familiar with the three other realms to which the Emperor had access.

Needless to say, Tsung was quite pleased with her hidden dedication, though he kept those thoughts to himself. It was also best, he figured, to keep those thoughts of the excellence with which she would rule to himself. No need to set her up for greatness, just so she could be an utter failure to spite him.

He was so immersed in his thoughts he wasn't aware of the other presence in the room until he growled his arrival.

"Greetings, Lord Tsung."

The sorcerer's eyes flicked to the side, and he nodded to his Master Guardsman. "Motaro."

"Does something trouble you?"

"No. I was merely thinking of my young bride's progress."

Though clearly he held no interest in the Earth mortal, the half horse politely asked about her.

"They say she's quiet, well reserved. They're unsure if she's learning or not, considering how little she involved herself in the teachings."

"Understandable, my lord. She does not want to be here."

Tsung said nothing for a moment. "She's learning faster than they realize. What they can't see is her eagerness, her silent eagerness. I think she's more interested in becoming a ruler than she let's on. And I think she's more enticed by the power she is being offered than she herself realizes. Something I can most certainly use to my advantage."

Motaro growled slightly and shifted his weight. "You think you can turn her to our side?"

Tsung's smile grew wolfish. "The darkness in her has always been there, dragon, waiting for a chance to grow… waiting for me to mold it into something more deadly than it ever dreamed." He stood up and moved away from the table to approach the room's large window. Down below, standing alone on the small balcony from her room, Sonya stared out to the three moons sinking into the horizon. "And now the wait is over."

"And if she tries to resist you?"

Tsung chuckled in a haughty tone. "As defiant, brave and foolish as she is, she could not best me in anything. She is still only mortal, an Earth mortal at that. She is no threat to me, nor will she ever be. I will always be one step ahead of her, one step in control."

Motaro stood silently for a moment, just swaying with his weight, when he growled and spoke up again. "What about her friends, the other Chosen Warriors? What do you have planned for them?"

Tsung's smile faded slightly, but his tone still held amusement. "The Emperor will place Kitana on trial for treason and treachery to her realm, though it's already known that her fate is sealed. That does leave me the Chosen One," Tsung sneered bitterly.

"You'll take care of him personally?" the centaurian answered with a hint of a smile revealing stained yellow and jagged teeth.

Tsung sighed and again took his seat at the table. "Oh, killing him would be such a sweet pleasure… but letting him live with the knowledge of his failure, now that is the sweetest reward of all. After the judgment, after his grip on reality really starts to loosen, I'll release him back to his home temple, let him see the fruits of his labor, and let his failure drive him mad." Tsung leaned back in his chair in satisfaction.

Motaro growled again. "And that third human, the annoying one?"

A shadow passed over Tsung's face. Dark vibes rolled off the sorcerer and Motaro stepped back, unable to understand his Lord's reaction.

"You're not concerned about that pathetic mortal?" the half horse asked quietly.

Tsung didn't seem to hear him, though his mouth grew taught in his silent contemplations, and his thoughts weren't pleasant in the least.

"It was only luck that let him win that fight against Goro-"

"That is not the point."

Motaro stood patiently, but was ignored.

In the silence of the room, Tsung was recalling the conversation he shared with Sonya in the tower before the final kombat, regarding her secret desire to be saved by that irritating human, Johnny Cage. As long as he lived, he was a risk to his plans for Sonya… but something was holding him back from killing him.

Apparently, the dark spirits had another plan for the arrogant actor.

Motaro was about to quietly depart the room in respect for the sorcerer's musings when he spoke. "They will remain in the dungeon until I have need for them." Tsung dark eyes held Motaro's. "But make sure all of the prisoners are present for the trial. They will see the wrath of the Emperor they tried to defy."

/

Sonya retrieved the ancient scroll at her feet, carefully unfurling it. Her instructors had left to find a scroll about the Second War, when the tournament came into existence between the Realms. In her solitude, she moved around the room, and while looking through some ancient scriptures, something rolled onto her head. It was not scripture, but a weaving.

Demons ravaged a world engulfed in flames and blood. People lay dying or dead everywhere, and few fought against the horrid creatures that fell from the black clouds above. One person stood out in the tapestry; a black shadow with flame filled eyes hovered over a young man who seemed to be crying out for a woman lying dead beside him.

Sonya felt chills run down her spine, and then fear swelling up in her breast. In the distance, she could hear screams… awful, painful and terrified screams. Metal swords clanged in combat, wood from the homes crackled and burned, creatures roared their anger and lust for blood….

She suddenly jumped back, her hand at her mouth, her eyes wide and fading while the tapestry fell to the table before her.

Claws dug into her spine. Hot, moist breath dripped down her neck, soaked into her thin top. A surge of emotions overwhelmed her senses, making her cower into herself in fear. Hate, despair, pure evil filled her mind and her soul… it was screaming at her to give up, give in, accept the darkness that could give her so much. A faceless man appeared before her… he grinned and swallowed her whole.

Her hand burned, and when she looked down, her breath left her in a rush as she realized she had collapsed to her knees. _What the hell?_ She stood, her hand stinging, and this time she noticed a thin red welt growing along the scar on her palm. It looked infected, and it throbbed in pain. _But it was fine this morning…_

"Are you well?"

Sonya nearly jumped out of her skin. "Don't do that!" she hissed vehemently.

Tsung's face showed no emotion, but his eyes seemed to take pleasure in the discomfort of his sudden arrival. "You're usually more aware of your surroundings than that. Does something trouble you?"

"I'm fine," she dismissed with a turn of her head. She seized the mural on the table and began rolling it back up when Tsung stopped her.

"What were you looking at?"

"Nothing."

But Tsung was already unrolling the ancient weaving, and his eyes became slits as he studied it. "Where did you find this?" he asked softly, angrily.

Surprised by his reaction, Sonya hesitated in her reply. "I was looking through the volumes and it fell."

"This should have been destroyed a long time ago." He threw it several feet from them and vaporized it to a few fluttering pieces of flaming cloth with a flick of his wrist. He watched the last few bits disintegrate before looking again at his wife.

Sonya's voice returned not a second later. "It was just a picture," she said carefully.

"It was nothing important." He turned to face her fully, gripped her shoulders lightly, giving her a wide smile that erased all signs of the uncontrolled outburst from moments before.

An outburst Sonya swore to never forget. Whatever had struck that nerve could be useful later.

"Your instructions are done for the day. Tonight we will attend a very important political meeting."

"What political matter?"

"You'll see. You must get yourself ready, and you must look your best. Tonight," Tsung paused long enough to give her a ruthless smile, "you will meet the Emperor."


	4. Merciless Meetings

Chapter 4: Merciless Meetings

_"You world is but one of many realms. One of them is a forsaken land called Outworld, ruled by an immortal who has crowned himself emperor. He now seeks a new world to conquer and enslave…"_

Rayden's words echoed in her head as Sonya was escorted by Tsung and countless servants to the large double oak doors at the end of the corridor. Something cold ran through Sonya's veins, whether it was nervousness or fear or something else, she did not know. But deep in her heart, beneath all other emotions, boiled a growing hatred for this powerful being who ruined her life. Images of her beautiful world, of her friends and family, of all the people now suffering because of his decision to take over her realm made her stomach churn.

"This is a privilege," Tsung suddenly spoke. "Women never attend these gatherings, for women hold no power in these connecting realms. They are merely vessels to carry on the legacy of power through childbirth."

Sonya scoffed silently at the ego of men. "So why am I here?"

"You forget so quickly you will be ruling a realm?"

"Aren't you really the one who's ruling it?"

Tsung smiled thinly. "I will intervene as necessary. But you will be the leader of everything on Earth."

"If women aren't allowed such a place of power, then why-?"

"Because I was granted the right to rule Earth, but I am passing it to you. As my wife, and as it is my choice, you are now given the right to rule."

Sonya regarded him carefully. "That still doesn't answer my question."

The sorcerer stopped and turned to her. "You will become the first Lady among the Dark Lords," he answered slowly. "Never before has there even been the consideration of such power bestowed on a female, but you, Sonya, are meant to be that woman."

"How did I earn such an honor?"

Tsung gave her a cruel smile. "I am drawn to great power for survival, and you are a wealth of untapped power." His grin faded as his voice dropped. "But, you must earn their trust. To do that, you will not speak unless spoken to, you will only give brief and honest answers, and you will never make eyes with the Emperor until you have been granted permission. To do otherwise will indicate failure, and weakness. You will already be seen as weak enough as a woman."

They continued walking again. "I hope you enjoy challenges my dear, because for you, this will be one of the greatest."

/

It was a grand round room, having cathedral ceilings decorated with gargoyles and demons reaching out for the souls of those who glanced up at them. Stone pillars held the ceiling high, and around the bases were people dressed in torn and dirty rags, bound together, gagged, and forced to stand crowded in close quarters. A stone slab stretched out over the middle of the pit, with two small pillars that held dangling chains. Higher up in balconies draped with richly colored tapestries, royals of both human and animal origin, dressed in elegant designs and colors, sat and waited patiently, regally, while glancing with disgust at the wretched creatures of the streets. At the center of the room, a small wooden platform was staged before a dais made of gold. On the dias sat one large throne made of pearl white bones and skulls, surrounded by three chairs of solid gold on each side.

Sonya peered down upon all of this from a distant balcony. Tsung and his servants had quickly left her, but standing at the door of the private balcony stood the half horse beast, Motaro, her personal bodyguard. Despite his presence blocking any chance of escape, or at least exploration, she was glad for the respite from the sorcerer's presence. It gave her a chance to contemplate his words.

He wanted her to have a place in this unholy council… why? She would never turn her back on her humanity… unless Tsung was planning on using more blackmail to reach achieve his goals. But she still couldn't figure what he hoped to accomplish using her. She had no powers and no desire to obtain any.

But if she could work her way into the circle, perhaps gain a voice and their trust… maybe she could work things to her advantage… maybe she could fight back and win…

The room shook with the echo of the gong. Immediately the crowds fell to silence, their eyes set to the doors at the back. A second crash from the great metal disc, and a row of men walked out onto the platform, each standing before their respective places around the great chair. All were dressed in black; all wore gloves and gold medallions upon their chests. Sonya could make out no more details from her great height, but still she could feel the waves of unnerving power that emanated from each man. All held the air of dominance, of danger, and well refined evil.

Then he entered the room. With flourished respect, each Lord fell to his knees and bowed his head in humility, as did his loyal subjects. The wretched souls in the pit coiled back. Sonya did nothing. She simply took in her enemy, took in as much detail as she could, and began listing in her head.

He was remarkably tall, carrying a bulky build that he modeled off with arrogance. His sleeveless black shirt was opened in a V from his waist up, and tight black leggings inside knee high boots made up the rest of him. Upon his head he wore a crown made of animal horns, with a partial skull of some hideous beast covering his face. Burning bright inside the sockets of the mask, red eyes glowed as they swept across the room, challenging anyone who dared. He was the image of fear, the reality of a nightmare, and even the air in the room grew heavy and damp with dread at his entrance.

He was Shao Kahn. The Emperor.

After seating himself, a final toll brought the Lords to their feet and the subjects to attention. A gesture of his hands, and everyone was seated. Then at last, he spoke.

"Bring the accused forward."

In moments, two monks in brown robes escorted a third, this one in black, to the center of the pit, to the columns, and to the chains that bound the victim to the spot. Quiet murmurs rose from the royals, who sat eagerly at the edge of their seats, as they waited for the unveiling. The figure made no move and no sound.

"Guests and subjects of the courts," Kahn's voice rumbled through the hall. "You have been gathered here to witness disobedience, betrayal, and treachery in its purest form. Allegations of secret alliances, attempted plots of murder, and devotion to those other than among the courts are only the basics of this traitor's work. It shall now be brought to a halt, tonight." At his nod, the black hood was pulled back.

"Kitana!" Sonya gasped. "No…"

The crowds erupted with fury. Men rose to their feet, booed and screamed horrible insults across the hall. Many shook their fists and demanded immediate death. Kahn allowed this to carry on for several moments, grinning maliciously at his adversary who remained stoic to the chaos around her.

Finally, he brought the room to silence. With a small gesture, he silently handed the floor over to Tsung, who rose from his seat on the right and advanced toward Kitana.

"It is true," he began. "Princess Kitana, rightful heir to the throne of Outworld, has turned traitor to our ways. She has been planning behind our backs the downfall of us all, and even purposefully lost a battle to a human so that Earth may have a chance at success."

Sonya felt her neck tingling as someone stared at her. She looked away from Tsung, and was suddenly pinned by the Emperor's gaze.

"Not that it ever did," Shao Kahn cut in neatly, speaking directly to her.

It was a slap to the face, and Sonya found herself recoiling from the blow. Laughter echoed in her ears, and she was sure it was from everyone in the room, all directed at her. Then it was gone, the laughter and his eyes that froze her soul. His gaze had again focused on the one to be charged while Tsung continued with the accusations.

"She was found the night of the Final Kombat in the company of two combatants from Earth, aiding them in their quest to rescue a companion and defeat myself, so that Earth would be lost to us for another 10 generations. But what a rather poor job of help it was, my dear, allowing yourself to be so easily caught on your own ground."

A sweep of his arm brought the people in the pit to the attention of the crowds. "Below us stands the rather pathetic group of devoted followers to our Princess' cause. They, too, are to face the charges of treachery and unfaithfulness to this realm. The fate of the princess shall also lie with them.

"So now a verdict is to be made. The laws of our realms must be upheld, and punishment distributed as necessary. A vote of life or death by our council." Tsung turned to the council and awaited the word.

Only a moment passed before the word was spoken. Down the line, each Lord gave his vote, the hollow word echoing through the silent hall. In the end, the verdict was unanimous.

_Guilty._

Tsung took his seat among the others, and waited.

"You have heard the verdict of the Lords. You are to be put to death for insurrection and attempted destruction of our ways. Unless I say otherwise." Shao Kahn gazed on with emotionless eyes, his face set, his tone solid. "The accusations are on the table. We have heard Tsung's side. Now I wish to hear yours. Do you deny any of this?"

"No."

The crowds murmured to themselves, shifting restless at the rich sounding answer that held no quiver of fear or shade of doubt.

"And neither do my people."

Khan smiled. "I see. You speak the minds of the people for they have no minds of their own to speak."

"I speak for them for I have a voice that will be heard."

"You had a voice that was once heard, daughter," he drawled, "for now it is a voice that will be eternally silenced." He paused. "But, perhaps, we could strike a bargain. The council may have a unanimous vote, but I have final say. I could spare your life, and the lives of those sniveling under you, for a price."

Kitana remained silent.

"You are the last to lay claim to the throne here. To lose you would be a great inconvenience. Therefore, I will agree to spare your loyal subjects, simply exile them to a different realm rather than execute them before your rebellious eyes, if you swear eternally loyalty to me." He allowed the words to sink in. "It is a generous offer, and I suggest you take it, for the benefit of your people if nothing else. What say you?"

The tension in the air was so oppressive Sonya felt crushed beneath its weight, and she could only imagine the pressure upon the princess. Sonya sat with clenched hands, her body leaning forward against the balcony railing as she stared down upon her friend of only a short while. She didn't trust his offer, she hoped Kitana wouldn't take it, but to turn him down would mean death. Either way, she was damned.

"You will have my word," Kahn persuaded.

"'You will have my word' is not the same as 'you have my word.' So far you have made me no promises that anything you say is true," Kitana replied defiantly. "Not that it matters. You've never told the truth, to me or to my people, or anyone else you rule over. You give your word to spare the life of others? I spit on that. The word of a tyrant is nothing to me. I will serve eternally in the bowels of hell before I serve you."

Again the crowds jumped to their feet in fury, while Sonya's heart dropped to her feet in despair. She felt for Kitana's defiance, for her pride in herself and her cause. Sonya could relate. But to go against the Emperor with death on the line… she held no chance.

"So be it," Kahn replied calmly, his voice cutting through the cries of the spectators. "Kill them all."

"No!" Sonya screamed from above, only to lose her voice in the cheers.

A large iron cage was brought out behind Kitana. Below the bottom rungs was a smaller cage filled with hay. The monks beside her freed her of the chains, threw her inside and locked the door. Then a third monk stepped forward, a torch burning wildly in his hand.

"Burn her! Burn her!"

From her perch high above, the cheers died out around Sonya, the sound of her racing heart drowning out everything else as she watched the hay begin to glow, then crackle and set. It was slow moving; stretching on forever as the flames rose and engulfed the princess.

_Screaming… screaming…._

Somewhere in her mind she could hear the screams…

The iron bars were beginning to glow red.

The smell of burning flesh assaulted her nostrils, wrenching her stomach…

In the pit below, doors opened, and waves of steam rolled out into the room, followed by a bright orange glow. More screams filled the air as the Edenians crowded against the far wall trying to keep back from the spreading ring of fire. It was a futile attempt. Rolling in waves of molten rock, advancing to lap at their feet, the lava spread over the entire floor, and slowly the traitors of Edenia sank into the sea of fire until nothing remained but a glowing pool of heat.

"Justice is served."

Suddenly, the Emperor was gone, the cheering crowds silenced, the putrid smells clear, and Sonya saw nothing but Princess Kitana's hand, outstretched over the burning bars, blackened and twitching. Then Tsung's own fire filled eyes as he claimed her from the balcony and lead her away.

/

As the crowds retreated back to their miserable lives, and the monks began cleaning the gruesome remains of the execution, a figure blended farther into the shadows, the glittering eyes tracking the blackened cage until it was carried off into the night.

When the hall became still, the room became silent save for the crackling of the dying torches. Still, the screams of the dead echoed on the night breeze, and one voice seemed to ring out over all others. The figure's head bowed and a gloved hand clenched over the heart that pounded in anger.

"I give you my word, Princess," a voice whispered coldly into the night, "Kahn's atrocity will not go unpunished."

With a soft swish of silk, the hall was silent and empty once again.

/

All she had to do was breath. Such a simple command, and yet Sonya couldn't find the ability to do so. She was choked for air, her throat burning in sorrow. Or maybe she was choked by the smoke. It was everywhere, curling around her in wisps, stroking her with all the warmth of death's own bony fingers.

No, that wasn't right. She blinked. There was no smoke, only a few billows from the torches along the walls. The soft light left the room bright and warm, a touch of comfort with every glow. She smiled and continued along in the crowd of faces she couldn't see, her voice lost among others she couldn't understand. Where were they going again?  
And then the world blackened into midnight. Shadows danced to a silent band, round and round her again. She turned to find herself alone.

_No. You'll never be alone again.  
_

The masses had continued on while she stopped. The torches flickered and died, leaving her in the hall with only the moon for her guide. She felt warm, no, it was hot. The air was suddenly moist, and her skin was tinged red. Like the walls, like the floor; everything was stained red, cast upon by the blanket of light from the blood colored moon.

_We're together now.  
_

The light trickled down the walls in rivers, mimicking all the care of spilled paint; it drowned the men glaring from their stiff portraits, it pooled at her feet to stop just before her toes. There it swirled and steamed, burst into flames and consumed her whole. The heat choked her. The flames caressed her. Eyes blazed from the depths of the flames, and her ears were flooded with their screams.

Screams and screeches, wails and howls, all erupting from the faces swirling in the fire. All screaming at her, damning her. She could do nothing but step back, cry out her own despair… _it wasn't me, it was never me._ Smoke wrapped around her neck, took shape and gripped her, choking her, and Sonya felt compelled to let herself go.

_Are you afraid to die?_ it whispered.

Sonya shuddered.

_You'll rule. You'll sacrifice. You'll kill.  
_

_But you'll never die._

_You are mine. Forever._

Sonya tried to scream but no sound came.

_**DON'T.  
**_

_**RESIST.  
**_

_**ME.**_

The face smiled from the smoke, swallowed her whole in its blazing eyes…

It sounded like the crack of a whip. It stung like one, too. The pain coursing through her cheek was nothing, however to the searing pain in her lungs as Sonya finally drew a breath. Black spots laughed at her and swam away, dragging her from the foggy depths of her mind to surface beneath the shape of Shang Tsung's smoldering eyes.

"Are you well?" he asked, his voice strained with barely controlled fury.

"Fine," she answered automatically, trying not to wince at the pain heating her cheek. "Well enough to know that you didn't have to slap me that hard."

In a menacing tone, he hissed, "You speak out of place, woman. Now is not the time, and certainly not the location, to play the stubborn fool you enjoy so much."

Face flushing, Sonya rose to her feet and stepped into his face, ready for the fight she so desperately needed-

-until she paused to take note of the fact that she had to get up to yell at him. Which meant she was on the ground prior to the discussion.

"Just now noticing, I see? You have no idea what happened. Do you?"

Sonya only stared at him, waiting for an answer while she tried to conjure one of her own.

But Tsung shook his head, placed her arm in his, and began escorting her back into the passageway they were traversing earlier. "Your stubbornness is making you weak. Your health is failing you in your defiance, and that is going to stop now."

Sonya's lips tightened as she realized she must have passed out from lack of food or rest, the ordeals of the past week putting more strain on her than she realized. "But-"

"No. We will discuss this later. But for your own good, and by Hell's fires for mine, don't you dare show such weakness again, or you may ruin us both." He paused, long enough to draw her attention and look her dead on. "And I will see you dead before you ruin me. Understood?" he annunciated.

With a fake smile she seethed, "Perfectly."

As they continued on in oppressive silence, Sonya noticed the burning tingle from her hand, and she looked down to see it had turned black along the scar, the charred skin spreading in tendrils across her fingers, up her arm… and when Sonya blinked, her hand was fine, clean and smooth just as before. _Shadows,_ she thought, _it was only the shadows._

/

They were more intimidating in person than from afar, Sonya noted as she entered the private dinning area. Their dress remained the same; all in black, except each was now adorned with a colored robe that hung to a little above the knees. Each of the five Lords kept eye on her arrival, scrutinizing her, judging her. She controlled her repulsion at their reactions, ranging from anger to intrigue and then to lust. But as quickly as the emotions came, they fled, leaving cold indifference.

"You're late, Tsung," one dressed in red silks remarked with a clipped tone.

"Forgive our tardiness, Xyon. My darling spouse is easily distracted by pretty things and soon got herself lost." The men chuckled with him as he remarked, "Typical woman."

Sonya tried to keep her cool but her hands clenched at her sides, a gesture that did not go unnoticed.

"Sensitive, is she? Whatever do you see in her?" this from a man in royal blue. His voice scratched like nails on a chalkboard.

"Not sensitive, Rotiart. Simply proud. Just like the rest of us."

The denial from one Lord in green snapped loudly across the room. "She's nothing like us, and you're a fool for trying to make her so."

"I'm not trying to make her anything, Skyall. I'm only shaping her into what she already is."

"It will take a lot of work to shape her into a man," the man sitting at the end of the table, his robes of a deep purple, quipped from afar, and hid his smug smile behind is drink.

Laughs all around, and Sonya felt adrift in a sea of humiliation.

"Why would you want to do that, Illyar? Such a pretty thing, it would be a waste," the one named Rotiart replied.

"You will at least impregnate her first, wont you?" Skyall interjected.

"Secure an heir to your realm, that's all she's good for anyway," the last man, donned in orange, hissed from his own seat next to the one in blue. He hadn't stopped glaring at Sonya. Not once.

Tsung simply smiled at the remark. "Don't be foolish, Latrom. She's good for a lot more than just that," he replied suggestively.

All of the men laughed again as Sonya's back went straight and her face flushed. The retaliations were racing through her mind, right to the tip of her tongue, when the men at the table stood and bowed respectfully. Sonya turned to find the Emperor, dressed in a suit of black armor, standing directly behind her. Breath caught and blood thinning to ice, Sonya was dumbfounded by his sheer oppressive presence just long enough to make the Emperor chuckle.

"So, this is the Earth woman that gave us such a delicious realm to feast on," he drawled in his low, demonic voice. A moment passed as he looked her over before he remarked, "How quaint. For being the so called best female warrior Earth had to offer, I'm not seeing much to impress. Then again," he smiled viciously, "Rayden has always been such an undemanding god."

The others, Tsung included, laughed at the jibe.

Kahn turned away to take a seat at the table, calling over his shoulder, "Forgive me. Rayden _had_ been such an undemanding god."

Sonya felt the chill race up her spine, clouding her head. Tsung had told her he was dead... but it couldn't be true.

"Interesting."

Sonya suddenly snapped from her daze, focusing again on the Emperor. A peculiar look, something between thoughtful and amused, rested in his eyes. A calloused and meaty hand caressed his chin before he spoke. "Leave us," he ordered.

The men looked confused.

"I said leave us! I want a moment with this mortal."

Without hesitation, each man left, Tsung not even giving a second look back.

Sonya heard every movement around her, from the shuffling of the Lords' robes to the click of the doorknob. Then the cackling of the torches, the rustling of the tapestries on the walls, the heavy beat of her heart. Her gaze remained dead ahead, a thousand yard stare, giving away nothing, just as she had been taught at the Academy. The silence carried on for minutes, and she remained still and silent the entire time, with only her thoughts racing loudly in her head.

"What a brave face. You're a decent liar."

Silence.

"So, Tsung has taught you something of respect." Kahn stood, his chair scraping along the stone floor, and then his boots clicked with each step, moving closer to his companion. "It must be hard for you, knowing that you have to serve me, who has destroyed your world and will destroy everyone you care about, if you make one false move." He moved close enough to sniff her hair. "Tell me. Is it hard?"

"It will be harder tolerating your body odor."

"Ah. Arrogant mortals. Always speaking with the powers of a god." He stepped into her sight, gazing down on her intensely. "Do you think you're immortal? Do you think you're invulnerable? Because you're not. You're irrelevant to me; a bug on the wall waiting to be crushed. You are expendable, just like the rest of your pathetic realm."

"If Earth was so worthless, why did you go after it?"

"Because," he leaned down, "your realm holds billions of people, all carrying souls that people like me and your dear husband feed on." He sneered. "And when Tsung grows tired of you, you will be added to the list. Just like Kitana."

Sonya's eyes narrowed at him.

He laughed and turned, sidestepping to circle her. "That angers you, doesn't it? Thinking about Kitana? Are you still hearing her screams? Can you feel the fire under your own feet? Or are you just wallowing in the guilt of your own loss? Are you thinking that if only you had fought harder, you might have won?" He paused by her ear. "Do you ache when you think about failing your friends?"

_Shut up_, her mind screamed, but her voice was missing. Her throat was clamped shut under the strain of his words. _No, fight it!_ And there he was, piercing her soul with his merciless eyes, relishing in her inner turmoil, stroking the heat of the anger burning so brilliantly in her eyes.

"I hate humans," he rumbled softly. "I enjoy making them suffer, hearing them scream and beg for pity. Few have provided challenges worth noting. Liu Kang was one, the only one, who stood any chance of winning. If not for you, perhaps the realm would have been saved. But look what happened. You thought yourself so strong and so worthy, and you lost. You are weak, Sonya Blade. Weak and worthless. And whatever plan you have of betrayal against me, forget about it. It would never work. I would see it coming too soon."

He leaned in closer, searching her deeper, penetrating her with his overwhelming eyes. Suddenly, his hand snaked up and gripped her by the neck, lifting her to his eye level, letting her dangle against his grip. "Do you understand, little girl? You can't mask your thoughts, or your disgusting emotions. I can read every single one at a glance. With a simple look I already know everything."

Sonya felt chills running through her, like sharp little fingers probing every secret in her mind, but she forced herself, willed herself with everything she stood for, not to cave in. "You think I'll betray you?" she choked out. "Then why don't you just kill me right now?"

Kahn smiled cruelly. "You couldn't kill Kano, your archenemy, even when you had the perfect opportunity. Twice, you had the chance to see him dead, and you wanted him to serve justice behind bars instead. You're too sympathetic. That is why you are no threat to me. And I'm keeping you alive just so I can throw it in your face everyday for the rest of your pathetic, miserable life."

He dropped her to her feet and began to walk away. "Start enjoying your new position as my servant. You'll be playing that role for a long time. Now get out." He turned a corner and disappeared, leaving Sonya with a flurry of emotions and a lack of breath.

_One day,_ she thought, _one day you'll eat your words Kahn. I swear to God._ On the lives of everyone who ever meant anything to her, she made that promise as she rubbed her sore throat.

_You're being watched._

Sonya's head snapped up, her instincts alerting her to danger close by. She scanned the room twice, three times, but could find nothing of concern. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it had disappeared. The feeling was gone. The being had left.

_Enough of this,_ she thought. She stood, regained her composure, and left the room. Tsung was outside the door, regarding her silently for a few moments before speaking.

"I have business here, you shall return to Outworld alone." With the use of his magic and without another word, he transported her back to her room. Sonya took a breath, regaining her sense after the vertigo of space travel, and stepped into her closet. Changing into loose fitting clothes, she stormed off to the training room to work out her frustrations.


	5. Confrontation

Chapter 5: Confrontation

The Lords settled about in the room, arguing amongst themselves on whatever petty topic had become an urgent matter in their respective realms. Tsung reclined at his designated throne, watching them all with masked disdain. His eyes drifted over each sorcerer as he swept the room.

Rotiart, from the jungle realm of Xaa, was talking quietly with Illyar, Lord of Hinpar, the realm of night. They were the youngest of the Lords, and impatient to a fault, making them the easiest to influence. Tsung's mouth twitched into the beginning of a sneer. Their minds were not nearly as strong as they led others to believe.

The Lords of Zaterra and Vaeternus, Skyall and Xyon, were discussing growing rebellions in their respective realms. Rebellions were more commonly found in realms that had been conquered by Kahn after the best warriors failed in the Tournament, and they spoke often of the futility of such petty attempts at freedom. Tsung often wondered if these conversations were given at face value to hide their own plans of treachery to the Emperor; after all, they were conquered and enslaved to the Kahn just like they people they governed. He wouldn't be surprised if they had an agenda… same as he did.

Tsung's calculating gaze settled on the last of the six, Latrom, the governor of OrderRealm. He was old, stubborn, and too concerned with maintaining order and discipline to appreciate the value of risks. He was highly respected by Kahn, as he willingly submitted his realm to the allegiance of the Emperor, but now his stringent rulings were hindering Kahn's progress.

An advantage Tsung looked forward to exploiting.

His thoughts were broken by the entrance of the Emperor. Each Lord bowed before settling at the table, Kahn taking the place of honor at the center. He snapped his fingers and a servant brought him a goblet. "I do not see your attraction to her, Sorcerer Tsung, but at least she is harmless." He snorted into his cup. "A chosen one, ha."

"Oh, no," Illyar smirked at Tsung, "His Eminence does not approve of your harlot. Guess your little plan for her place on this council has fallen flat."

"All for the better," Latrom grumbled. "Women have no place here; they cause nothing but trouble."

"Indeed," Xyon agreed.

"Resistance again?" Tsung remarked causally, unperturbed by the snide comments of his companions.

"Yes. Many in Veaternus want the realm separated from Outworld, and now one by the name of Nitara has taken up the cause." He leaned back into his chair. "But I am not concerned. She is merely an annoyance."

"Eradicate her now, before she becomes a problem," Skyall urged.

"As so demonstrated today," Illyar cut in. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, Lord," he nodded his head to Kahn in reference to Kitana.

Kahn growled in reply. "Yes. Another rebellion controlled… but at a great cost."

There was a pause before Latrom broke the silence, "Great One, have you decided who will govern over Edenia in Kitana's place?"

Rotiart glared at the Lord of OrderRealm. "How dare you show such disrespect? His daughter is not dead a day and you are already playing politics!"

"Fool!" Xyon snapped at the Lord of Xaa. "You cannot see the forest for the trees. Without a ruler to subdue the people, more rebellions will continue to rise up, fighting to destroy the merging of the realms. We cannot afford such a setback, not when we now possess access to five of the six realms."

"There is no need for such concerns," Kahn interrupted smoothly. "Edenia's new leader has already been appointed." The emperor's eyes shifted to Tsung's, who nodded back in consent.

Tsung smiled coldly at the other Lords, reading the confusion in their eyes.

"But no Lord governs more than one realm," Rotiart argued, his gaze quickly dropping when the emperor's piercing eyes pinned him to his chair. "Except for you, Great One."

"Lord Tsung?" the emperor inquired with a gesture of his hand.

The demon sorcerer stood and created a portal in the room, from which a tall, dark haired woman in purple silks walked through. "Lords of the Council, I give you Mileena, true daughter of Shao Kahn, and heir to the throne of Edenia."

The masked beauty stood beside the emperor and bowed to the Lords, before turning to Kahn and kneeling before him. "Father, it is an honor to serve."

"Mileena, regent of Edenia, I have your first task." As she stood, he handed her a small scroll from his throne. "Find this and bring it to me."

The replica of Kitana bowed her head as she accepted the assignment. "As you wish, Father." She turned and retreated back through Tsung's portal.

"You made a clone," Illyar stated to Tsung as he closed the swirling doorway, the Lord of Hinpar not bothering to hide his surprise at the new development.

"I did as my Lord commanded," Tsung replied as he again took his seat. "We've all known about Kitana's treachery, but her position as heir limited our options. So we… created another option."

"And by doing so," Skyall added quietly, "allowed for the search to begin for the fourth kamidogu."

Kahn smiled darkly. "Kitana could never be trusted with such a task. If she knew of our plans to raise the One Being, she would have fought even harder against us. Now, we have the means to achieve the fourth and fifth pieces."

"Which leaves the problem of the sixth," Rotiart remarked dryly as he stared pointedly at Latrom, the others soon joining him.

The Lord of OrderRealm bristled but would not budge. "You know the vote must be unanimous amongst us. I will not support an invasion of ChaosRealm, it will throw my realm into disarray when the merge is attempted, and my people will be the first to be slaughtered in retaliation." His eyes locked on the Emperor's with respect shadowed by defiance. "Your Eminence, I will support you in a great many of things, but I must insist the realm be acquired through Outworld's victories in Mortal Kombat."

"And make the Emperor wait another 500 years when we are so close? You have no right to make such decisions!" Rotiart spat, jumping to his feet and leaning menacingly across the table.

"You forget, Rotiart, OrderRealm is aligned with Outworld by choice, not by force. Our rules and our laws are still respected through this alliance, and I will not throw my world into madness because of impatience!"

The other Lords voiced their own opinions, a heated debate soon taking up in the council room. Tsung merely sat back and observed, his gaze shifting to meet the emperor's. They shared a silent dialogue regarding the fate of Latrom, and Tsung knew his plans were approved with Emperor's dark blessing.

"So be it," Kahn interrupted.

All of the Lords ceased their accusations, turning as one to face Kahn as he stood. "We will issue a formal challenge to ChaosRealm. Once they have lost the tournaments, then we will take the last kamidogu, and we will begin the final merging of all realms to unite the One Being." His gaze swept the others, daring them to challenge his order. "In one week, Shang Tsung will be made Lord over Earth Realm, and the search will begin."

Tsung bowed. The others followed suit as Kahn left. Tsung quickly created his own portal and departed, leaving the Lords unaware of the deceit brewing among them.

/

The portal swirled silently as the lithe figure stepped through, leaving behind the devastation of Edenia to be greeted by the same decaying remains of Earth Realm. The desert wasteland was darkened by the thundering storms above, the wind blowing sand in a curtain across the remains of the small town. Buildings were nothing more than hollowed shells, some crackling with slowly dying fires from the previous raid of Outworld armies. Scattered along the streets were bodies, some whole, some in pieces, and some blackened beyond recognition. The smell of death was overpowering.

Jade barely noticed. Too often she had seen the same gruesome outcome of Kahn's invasions, the visage of death no longer impacting her beyond bored acknowledgment of its presence. She quickly scanned the area for any signs of life, friend or foe, but detected nothing, save for the graceful movement of a gray colored beast on a small hill. The two locked eyes before the creature bowed its head and trotted off. It paused once, watching her for a moment longer before it vanished into the night. Mimicking the furry beast, she began making her way out into the desert.

Since Princess Kitana's execution, her services were no longer needed to Shao Kahn as a personal bodyguard… a fact which surprised her until she heard the rumors of another assassin having taken Kitana's place. Though she did not know how valid the claims, it was easy to guess that Kahn did not trust Jade, not after being so close to Kitana for so many years. Not long after Tsung's wedding to the Earth Realm mortal, Kahn had ordered Jade back to Edenia to become the General of the Edenian Army, and to await the emperor's further instructions regarding the enslavement of Earth Realm.

Although she no longer had first hand access to the emperor and his plans, her new position enabled her to obtain knowledge through spies loyal to Kitana's quest to free Edenia and Outworld from Kahn's reign. It was through these loyal subjects that Jade was informed of a small location on Earth that had successfully resisted merging with Outworld. By powerful magic or divine intervention, this special place had yet to be over taken by Kahn's minions.

Jade intended to break through that barrier.

First she needed to find it.

She continued walking through the night, her body attuned to any shift in the environment around her. From a distance, she picked up disembodied shouts, cries that sounded Tarkatan in nature. Making her way up to the edge of a small cliff, she looked out over the land to find an army of Tarkatan soldiers, their arms raised high with swords extended, as they piled up against a faintly visible shield. Shokan warriors gathered around them, their multiple fists pounding at the barrier that merely rippled in response, denying entry to the angry beasts.

Jade's eyes narrowed, her sight moving along the barrier and following its path, in search of an area not occupied by Outworld soldiers. Twenty feet beneath her perch, blocked from view of the armies, she could make out a deserted path leading in the direction of the wall. She landed with a soft grunt and the muted thump of her boots. Her senses reached out for possible enemies, but she was alone. Moving forward across the narrow path in the desert rock, Jade quickly approached the wall… or the location she estimated the wall to be. There was nothing visible to her eye to indicate anything other than empty space existed before her.

Her body told her otherwise.

Her head hit first, the suddenness of the solid object knocking her back with a small cry of surprise. Immediately dropping into a defensive pose, she looked around for her attacker, but could see nothing. Reaching her hand forward, the desert beyond her hand rippled then settled back in place as she moved along the impenetrable surface. She rapped her knuckles against the shimmering visage, the sound likened to that of solid stone.

_How to get inside…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a whistle, soft and gentle in the storm's raging winds. Instinctively, she ducked down, barely catching the shattering of a green energy beam shaped like an arrow. Rolling to the side, a large foot smashed into the ground where she had crouched, the black boot now racing toward her head with lightning speed.

Jade blocked, twisted, and swung her elbow back and up into the throat of her assailant. He stumbled with a grunt, she charged, and the storm was broken by the sounds of skin against skin, boots against braces, and heaving breaths as the two warriors fought for dominance in the darkened canyon. Their battle cries echoed off the canyon walls to be whipped away by the heavy winds.

The man was large, fast, and well balanced in both mind and body, giving Jade a more challenging match than most. Where he was big and strong, she was nimble and fleeting, quickly dodging in and out of his attacks to put him on the defensive before he took too much ground. In a flash of lightning from above, she caught the glimpse of his face, its long, narrow features offset by chiseled cheeks covered in dark paint.

He was an Earth warrior.

His arm came up above her in a flash of brilliant light, momentarily blinding her as a bolt of lightning appeared to arc from the sky. In the second before she was electrocuted, Jade transformed into a cloud of green smoke, reappearing behind her opponent as the ground shook from the bolt's impact where she once stood. With a flash of purple from her hands, the bo staff cracked against the back of his legs, dropping him to his knees. She brought the staff across his neck, pulling back with both arms and pressing her foot into the small of his back, forcing his weight to fall solely on the glowing weapon.

"Warrior of Earth, you have no quarrel with me." Jade eased her choke hold slightly. "Give me your word you will not attack, and I will release you." The man grunted in reply, and Jade lowered her foot, pulling the staff from his throat as she took a step back and waited.

He fell forward, one hand gripping his throat while he coughed. He lifted his head to look at her, mistrust evident in the dark shadows of his face. "If you seek peace, I shall grant it. But you may not enter the sacred plane."

Jade bowed her head in a gesture of respect. "I return peace to you. I am called Jade."

The man came to his feet, topping her frame by only a few inches, and nodded in return. "I am Nightwolf. You are not from Earth."

"I hail from the realm of Edenia, a place that was overruled by the emperor and turned into a wasteland; a fate that has sadly fallen on your world."

"You are here as part of its destruction?"

"I am here in hopes of its resurrection."

The man's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Jade's bo collapsed away into her hand and she stepped towards him. "Shao Kahn, the immortal who has taken control of Earth Realm, is arriving in one week's time to declare himself emperor of your people. After that, he will leave the enslavement of this world to his council of sorcerers, and he will likely not set foot here again.

He is powerful, but arrogant and overconfident. He will not be expecting anything other than absolute submission by the people of Earth during his arrival. He will be completely unprepared for an attack."

Nightwolf's face reflected surprise. "Attack? You are planning a rebellion against him?"

Jade nodded. "Mine is not the only realm that wishes to see the fall of his reign. If he can be defeated, the realms he has merged through his conquests will be released to be governed by their own once again, Earth included. We have many ready to fight, but we need more."

"Yes, you will."

"That is why I have come here, seeking the one known as Rayden. As the protector of your realm, he holds information vital to the defense and reclaiming of Earth. It is imperative that I find him."

Nightwolf's arms crossed his body and he leaned back against the cliff face. "And you think this man you seek is located here?"

"Only one as powerful as he could create such a force to keep out Kahn's armies."

The Native American warrior smirked in reply. "Really?"

Jade bristled at his tone. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but if you won't help me, then I'll find someone who will. I have no time for idle banter."

"It is not up to me to determine your honesty, Jade. The spirits have already told me everything I need to know." He pushed away from the wall and began walking towards the invisible barrier. "Come with me."

Jade snorted. "I already tried that. Can you walk through a solid wall?"

"Yes, as can those who are invited." He gestured with his hand for her to walk through.

She eyed the warrior with caution. "And you will take me to Rayden?"

"No," Nightwolf answered with a small smile, "but I will take you to the next best thing."

Jade frowned. He said nothing further as he stepped through the barrier, disappearing behind it in a ripple of energy. With a sigh, Jade followed.

/

_Daniel._ Crack!

_My parents. _Smack!

_Jax._ Whoomp!

_Liu._ Her breathing came heavier with each punch.

_Kitana_. She was seeing red with every kick.

_Johnny._

"Argh!" The sack of sand went flying up into the air with the force of her hit, and came back down to meet every hit after that, each coming harder than the last, until the sweat blurred her vision. Fire inflated her lungs, the building exhaustion in her legs forced her to work for her attacks. But through the struggle, she continued fighting, her emotions pushing her to her limits and beyond.

_I'll kill you all_, she thought. _Kano and Khan and the Lords and Motaro and that damn bastard Tsung! It's all your fault! You ruined my life! _The sorcerer replaced the bag and Sonya flew a crescent kick at him, straight for his head, wanting to hear his neck snap in half, to see the life drain from his eyes… only her foot cut through empty air, her momentum sending her hard to the stone floor. The breath rushed from her, leaving her dazed and choking.

"You'll break the bag at this rate."

She looked up, blinking as she waited for the world to stop turning, and glared at the sorcerer spinning sideways in her vision. All she wanted was to watch him die in her dreams, and he denied her that. Seeing him in person was not improving her mood.

"It'll be the bag or your head," she seethed when she could breathe.

"What a way to welcome your husband home." He let go of the bag, allowing it to swing over her prone body. "And you need some work on that kick. If your feet were right, you wouldn't have fallen."

"Go to hell!" She jumped to her feet. "I didn't invite you in here! I don't want you here, so _get out_!" She sent a powerful punch to the bag that sent it swinging.

Tsung watched it move. "You have such focus when you're angry."

Sonya growled and stalked away, only to find her arm bent up and her face crushed into the floor before she knew she had even been touched.

"All fighters should know to never turn their backs on potential enemies."

Sonya reached boiling point. With a cry of fury, she spun herself onto her back, kicking out her left leg to sweep him and bringing her right leg down onto his sternum with cracking force. Then she twisted herself up onto her feet, crouched, and charged in for an axe kick to the neck. Tsung blocked it, locking her ankle as he kicked up to the outside of her standing leg, hitting the bundle of nerves that sent her to the floor in a moment of paralysis.

He stood and walked over to her, offering his hand to help her up. "Again?"

Sonya glared and stood on her own, her chest heaving. "Ok," and she flew in for a high attack, throwing in punches and kicks at every opening she saw, forcing him back, back, until he was almost against the wall. Always retreating, but never attacking, he continued brushing off her attacks like he was swatting flies. Why wasn't he attacking?

"Fight back, damn you!"

"No."

"Why not?" She threw a powerful snap kick, putting all her anger behind it, only to find her foot in the wall. "Damn it!"

"I'm learning your mistakes so I can correct them later."

Sonya spun, throwing her elbow into the turn, missing him by mere inches. Again, they moved, her attacking, him retreating, her breathing wildly, and him acting like he was out for a walk. The peacefulness of his attitude was driving her mad, and she couldn't take it anymore. She needed this fight.

"Enough!" she shouted and dropped her attack to simply shove him away. "Why are you doing this to me? Haven't you had enough fun with me tonight? Stop screwing around and fight back!"

Tsung tilted his head slightly. "You are angry with me. More so than usual."

"I'm angry with everybody, you're nothing special!" she snapped.

Tsung crossed his arms, a serious look on his face. "Explain."

"It's none of your goddamn business," she answered vehemently.

"I'm not here to hold your hand, Sonya. Respect is earned, never given."

Sonya gave him a sharp glance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"These men have lived for thousands of years, and have been living under particular rules that are never questioned and never changed. A man is always more powerful than a woman, and to treat you with any form of respect would have been disadvantageous for both of us. Learn now, you are always under me, and always subject to humiliation until proven otherwise. You will be ridiculed, so get used to it.

"These are men of action, and judge by what they see, not what they hear. To say anything of you would have fallen on deaf ears. They want to see you prove your worth. Tonight was nothing compared to what lies ahead. Take my word, and toughen up."

Sonya recoiled. "Toughen up?" she hissed.

"You show your emotions too easily. That is why I beat you, and that is what the emperor will always use against you. Work on it."

Sonya's eyes left his. She couldn't hold his stare when his words rang true.

"But also remember," he added, "to listen carefully to what they say, because it could always be a lie. They speak one thing, and think another."

"Remind you of anyone?" she countered.

"Absolutely," he replied with the hint of a mirthless smile. "For despite what I say, I still have faith in you."

Sonya's head snapped up and her breath caught in her throat when she saw Tsung standing close, his dark eyes piercing her. A strange smile adorned his lips, and his eyes seem to come alive with the fire of his enslaved souls. Sonya felt like a trapped animal cornered before the kill.

"Oh, Sonya," Tsung whispered softly, "I do look forward to possessing you."

Sonya recoiled from his suggestive tone, the look of disgust obvious on her face. "Never," she spat.

His eyes roamed over her face and down her sweat covered form to capture her eyes once again. "It's only a matter of time… and then you and I will become one."

Her hand shot out to wipe that sickening smile from his face, but he merely caught her wrist. Turning the back of her hand towards him, he tenderly kissed the soft skin around her knuckles before turning away. He quietly departed while Sonya sagged back against the wall, her heart in her throat.

She shivered. What was that? It was like a complete change had come over him in a matter of seconds, and she still felt frozen in place from the chill of his stare. Her eyes closed as her mind betrayed her, conjuring horrid images of just what he had in mind for her in the future. He said he would respect her space… but only for so long…

_You're not alone._

Sonya's head shot up. Her hair whipped around her face as she spun, her body already preparing for a fight. Yet again, the feeling of being watched left her as soon as it came. But her back still tingled, right at the base of her neck, and she knew what she saw. This time, it wasn't fast enough to get away, and Sonya caught a glimpse of black hair and purple silk.

She was being followed.


	6. Resist or Serve

Chapter 6: Resist or Serve

The survivors were becoming restless. Days had passed since the destruction of Earth. Now, buildings that remained were nothing more than skeletons, all plant life was reduced to blackened chars, and millions were left torn apart from friends, families, and homes to find themselves herded in chains to caves and deep pits. Left shivering, terrified, and clueless to the events unfolding around them, the humans clung to priests, begging for peace and striving for hope. Those brave enough to speak for the people were placed as the leaders, and gave the citizens of Earth enough courage to remain alive with what they could find for food or shelter against the devastating storms that continued to rage overhead.

It had been the 12th day without sunlight. It was only the constant flashes of lightning that provided anything to see by. Rain fell intermittently, providing enough drinking water to keep the body hydrated. Food was difficult, though. Any creatures that could be found were devoured whole, eaten raw and bloody by those hungry enough. The ones who couldn't stomach such savage rations moaned in the darkness, the pains and cramps of hunger leaving them in tears. Those lucky enough died of starvation before too long, before the lack of food drove them to insanity. Most envied such an easy escape.

For the young man who stood watch at the entrance of the small hideout, he only envied an explanation. One day the weather was glorious, the gangs were causing problems as always, and he was enjoying his daily cup of coffee with crème and sweet-tarts. Then the world turned upside down and from the gates of hell flooded the vilest creatures, claws slashing and teeth grinding, as they rounded up the screaming people, chained them together, and sent them off in flashes of light. Fires raged from the skies, roasting everything in contact.

Soon the sun was blocked by the towers of smoke, and it had not been seen since. Within minutes, it seemed, the city of New York was a waste land of rubble and bodies, the surviving citizens enslaved and disappearing with every breath. Only through the skill and dedication of the few remaining members of SWAT was he able to round up a few survivors and stow them away in a small police storage basement.

The question was what to do next?

His thoughts were broken by approaching footsteps. Crouching into the shadows, he pulled out his night stick and released the safety from his firearm. His body tensed as the footsteps came faster and heavier, and he prepared for the fight…

…only to breath a sigh of relief as his partner came into view. "Find anything?"

Kabal shook his head, his long black ponytail brushing dust from his torn police uniform. "All of the convenience stores around here have been wiped clean by other survivors. That's a good sign, I guess."

"For them, maybe."

Kabal sat down and lifted his small canteen, taking a long sip. "How are our survivors doing?"

He shook his head. "We lost another one this morning."

"It's not your fault, Kurtis."

The young SWAT member looked at his older partner and mentor, grunting in reply. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You've been the best of the best, that's how you got this far this quick. Now we keep losing, and you can't stand it." Kabal took another drink. "Focus on what you can control, and let go of what you can't."

Stryker twirled his baton once before setting it back in his belt. "So what can we control right now?"

Kabal looked out over the darkened city, his eyes sweeping the destroyed terrain. "The survival of our strongest, which will improve if we can increase our numbers. We already know others are getting by out there, we should join up with them."

Stryker looked out over the city, his face grim. "If they're smart, they're hiding out, like we are. How do we find them?"

Kabal looked at him, his face void of any humor as he answered, "One at a time."

"I might be able to help you with that."

Both men went defensive at the new voice to find their vision blocked by the onslaught of a dust storm. When the wind died down, the two men stared in silence at the sudden appearance of the unearthly being hovering before them.

"What in God's name?" Kabal whispered.

"Depends on which god," the white haired man answered as he settled softly on the ground. "There are so many of us."

Stryker and Kabal shared a look but did not drop their defensive postures. "Now I know I've seen everything," Stryker muttered.

"Unfortunately, you haven't, but that is why I'm here." The tall, muscular man held out his hand, his eyes flashing white with power. "Kabal, Stryker, my name is Fujin, and we need your help to save the realm of Earth."

/

Plans were progressing faster than Shao Kahn had hoped. Earth being a realm of several small governing bodies sharing equal powers across the planet, there was no set monarchy or location from where he and his subjects could live. While his armies continued to round up the billions of slaves he would soon own, Kahn tasked Tsung with the construction of a castle from which he could rule.

Now, in only a few short days, the building would be complete, and he could enter Earth Realm as its sole ruler. After so many years of waiting and watching tournaments, Kahn finally had possession of the lush and resource rich realm. Of course, the abundance of souls and mortals he could enslave was not the only reason for his intense satisfaction.

On the table before the grotesquely large immortal hovered four glowing objects, their internal power causing them to spin slowly in their ethereal light. Two blocks on the table were empty, the corresponding objects yet to be retrieved. One was within reach, secured in the glorious realm of Earth, while the other…

Kahn growled as he crossed his arms, a meaty hand stroking at the smooth skin of his chin. He stood there for several moments, gazing at each powerful talisman, his thirst to obtain the power of the six kamidogu growing stronger with each day. The temptation to wield so much power from the One Being was maddening, and even he could resist the calling for so long. Now, with the conquest of Earth, he could wait no longer. It was time to move forward.

It was then he felt the presence of the room change. His eyes glowed red and he took a deep breath. From behind him, a voice drifted down, "It won't be long now."

"For Earth, perhaps. Chaosrealm will be another story."

"Really? I thought Tsung was taking care of that." Quan Chi stepped down from the collapsing portal and admired the kamidogu with the emperor.

"So did I."

The pale sorcerer turned his eyes and cast an even glance at Kahn.

"Only one realm can be ruled by a lord, according to the rule of 1st through 7th. By allowing Tsung to rule Earth, he can pass on the reign to his wife. Then, having no realm of his own, he can challenge Latrom in Kombat to rule OrderRealm."

Quan Chi nodded. "Latrom is an old fool, he would be no match for Tsung's power."

"And he would then rule OrderRealm and, with his power over that weak female warrior, Earth."

"Enabling a unanimous vote on the council to invade ChaosRealm… and obtain the sixth talisman," Quan Chi finished. "It is a brilliant plan."

"Yes," Kahn murmured. "Which is why I cannot allow Tsung to rule."

Quan Chi said nothing for a moment, carefully masking the shock on his face. "I do not understand."

Kahn turned to the smaller sorcerer. "Tsung brought me this plan following his union. He was convinced that he could warp the girl's mind to bend to his whim, to control her to support our agenda. He has yet to do so." Kahn turned away and began walking a slow circle around the talismans, Chi following slowly behind him. "In fact, I believe his resolve is weakening because of her."

Quan Chi snorted at this. "A woman breaking the ruthless spirit of Shang Tsung? I find that hard to believe."

"I would agree… but something has changed in him. I can sense it… there is something he has been hiding from me." A growl escaped the towering ruler.

Chi stopped, his hands clasping together behind his back. "Do you think he is planning to betray you? He _is_ willing to use treachery against the Dark Lords to expedite the attainment of the sixth kamidogu." His head tilted and his face became one of speculation. "If he is planning something… how do you intend to stop him?"

Kahn held Quan Chi's stare, his eyes burning behind his skull crown. "Why do you think I summoned you here?"

Quan Chi smiled. "What is your wish, Emperor?"

"I will not give Earth to Tsung, and certainly not to that pathetic excuse for a chosen warrior," he hissed. "But I need someone who can rule. Someone who I can trust." Kahn smiled ruthlessly. "Someone who I can control."

Quan Chi's eyes became alight with a cold fire as a cruel smile was returned. "Someone… with a connection to Earth Realm?" he asked.

"Yes," he answered smoothly. "Someone like that."

"And what of Shang Tsung? He will not take well to this new development."

"He is bound to me regardless. He will have to obey my commands. I will still order him to challenge Latrom and to obtain possession of OrderRealm so that our plans for the kamidogu may continue."

"And if he refuses?"

Kahn's smile faded into a fang filled sneer. "Then his true intentions will be known."

Quan Chi bowed as a portal swirled into existence behind him. "I will return shortly."

The emperor did not acknowledge the white sorcerer's departure, his eyes too focused on the punishment he would deal if Tsung was found to be anything other than his most loyal servant.

/

Someone was pushing him roughly. Growling with discontent, he looked up from his slumbering position to see Garret, a young boy of about fourteen, urging him up. A new recruit to the cause, Garret had found a way of weaving in and out of the sewers without being caught by the sentries to spread any information he could scrounge up.

"Come on, wake up! Something big is happening!" he whispered rapidly.

Clearing his head with a shake, the older man sat up and leaned against the wall, bits of loose dirt falling over him. "Report, soldier."

"The people are being moved, out into the new land."

The man winced as he recalled the night the oceans dried up completely, leaving miles of barren land and mile deep canyons. "What for?"

"Don't know. But that giant building is almost done." The boy blinked. "What do you think it means?"

"Is everyone being moved?"

"Yes, I think so. The creatures will be here soon, too."

He nodded. Something was happening. "Good work, Garret. Go tell the others about this. Let them know to start preparing."

The boy nodded. "Sure. But what are you thinking? Are we going to fight back now?"

"Too early to tell. Just tell them to be ready."

"All right, sir."

Major "Jax" Briggs laughed to himself as he watched the boy disappear through the dusty tunnels. Garret would have made a fine soldier, if only the world hadn't been shot to hell. Jax still wasn't sure what had happened short of an alien invasion. He had been in Hong Kong, waiting with the monks at the Temple of the Order of Light, when all hell broke loose. The temple was destroyed within minutes, the monks scattering to defend themselves against the surge of unearthly creatures that suddenly appeared from black, swirling portals.

The warriors who flooded the Temple were quick in their massacre of the monks, and Jax had been pulled away onto a Special Forces helicopter. From the skies they watched the rapid destruction of the Chinese land below them as they returned to Hong Kong… or what was left of it. In the space of a few hours, the city became a conflagration of death. Before the team could determine their next step, the helicopter was attacked by some winged beast that ate the pilot, and the chopper crashed into the city below.

Jax and two of his men survived, finding cover in the winding tunnels beneath the city. There, they rounded up as many survivors as they could and began planning for long term survival. At the moment, the odds were not looking good. Many were falling ill, and many more were disappearing as the armies above were slowly sweeping through the cities tunnels, weeding out the stragglers.

With a sigh, the Special Forces Major stood and began making his way through the tunnels to the makeshift war room. No matter the cause, he wasn't about to give in just yet. Luckily, they were able to acquire an increasing number of weapons, making it only a matter of time before they retaliated. A slow death would be the result otherwise; the opportune moment just had to present itself.

When it did, they would be ready.

His musings were interrupted by a muffled scream cut short down one of the tunnels. Grabbing his side arm, Jax proceeded down the darkened corridor. While many of the survivors had been gathered and stationed in different areas in the half destroyed sewers of Hong Kong, stragglers were always coming in… and sometimes unhuman creatures. Two unsuspecting guards had already been killed in that manner, and it was becoming more difficult to police the many avenues leading to the small hideout.

Jax was not about to watch a third go down. He kept his flashlight nearby but turned off, not wanting to ruin his night vision or give away his approach. Sounds of a scuffle became clearer, and he tensed as he heard male laughter. Three men, maybe four, and the muffled cries of a woman.

Jax's eyes narrowed. _Not on my watch._

Around the corner, he could hear the snickering of the men and rip of clothing. Jax counted to three then brought his firearm and flashlight around the corner. Turning on the beam, the bright white illuminated on man standing against the wall. The punk cried out in blindness and then in pain as the bullet exploded into his right leg, sending him crashing to the floor. The second thug was getting up from his knees on the floor when Jax blasted him in the chest, sending him sprawling. His light caught a flash of the woman rushing to her feet to run past him towards the camp, before he cried out in pain as a foot smashed into his arm. The flashlight flew from his hand and smashed against the wall, blanketing Jax and the third man into darkness.

Jax felt a hand on his wrist, attempting to break it and grab his gun. Jax spun his body and used momentum to flip the other man onto his back. He hit and spun, sweeping his legs out to take Jax off his feet. Both men rolled to their feet, the perpetrator sprinting down the tunnel. Jax was hot on his heels, catching a glimpse of a red vest and dark pants before the man cut off to the right.

Jax rounded the corner at full speed, barely having time to duck and roll as a throwing star embedded itself into the wall behind him. He barely had time to note the exotic design of the weapon before he was firing his own weapon on the retreating figure. His gun clicked as the hammer fell on an empty magazine. "Damn."

Getting to his feet, he holstered the weapon and continued down the tunnel, cautiously making his way through the maze of pipes that were quickly reducing in number. He knew from his rounds setting up a security perimeter that most of the tunnel ways in this area were crushed, preventing entrance… and escape.

He listened for any sound that would reveal the perpetrator's location, unable to detect anything over the steady drip of leaking water and the quiet pound of his heart. He carefully stepped around to the last tunnel entrance, his eyes settling on the rock pile a few feet ahead signaling the end of line. No person was present.

"God damn it," he hissed as he turned around to head back.

The shadow fell over him first before the figure dropped to the ground in front of him, the force of his landing causing the ground to shake and Jax to be knocked on his back. Instantly, there was a shower of kicks and a punch falling all around the Major's curled up form. He grunted with the force of each blow that landed, until he was able to grab a foot and swing the man onto his back.

Jax jumped to his feet as the other man stood. "That's it!" Jax growled. Dropping into a crouch, he sprinted towards the other man, his body increasing in speed until he was a blur of energy. His arm extended out and he punched his opponent in the center of his chest, knocking the man back twenty feet into the opposite wall. The force of his impact left a spider web of cracks, and dust rained down on the man as he hit the ground face first.

The African American Major stomped over to the prone form that coughed from his fetal position on the ground. With one hand, he lifted up the shorter man by his red jacket and thrust him back into the wall, pinning him a good three feet up from the ground. Jax's eyes widened and his hand reached up to clench around the helpless man's throat.

"Of all the people on this planet who had to die, why the hell did you have to survive?"

A bloody smile spread across the man's dust covered face. "I have friends in high places." His breath began wheezing as Jax squeezed tighter on his throat.

"Oh I doubt that. Obviously, someone made a mistake when they let you live this long. Don't worry, I'll fix that." Jax pulled back his arm, ready to punch the chocking man's head into the wall.

"I'll tell Sonya you said hi," he grinned maniacally.

Jax's eyes widened. "What?"

"She never came back from her boat cruise did she? Kano must have finished her off… not that she was ever much of a challenge. What woman is?"

In his moment of hesitation, Jax was struck by a surprise kick to the waist, and he lost his grip. He brought up his arm to block the roundhouse to his head, and the two men were at each others throats, punching and blocking in a blaze of furious fists. Jax got the upper hand as he drove a powerful punch into the stomach followed by a quick uppercut that caused his opponent to stumble back.

"This ends now, Jarek!" He pulled back his arm and thrust it forward, causing a powerful energy wave to rush towards the dizzy Black Dragon member. Just as it was about to decapitate the criminal, Jarek disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. The energy wave crashed into the wall behind the suddenly empty space.

"What?"

"Stand down, Major."

Jax spun around him to see Jarek being held up by a dark clad man with gray hair adorned in ninja type garb.

"Save your energy for the real fight."

Jax brought his hands up in a defensive posture. "I don't know who you are, but if you're in league with Jarek then I'm taking you down, too."

"Right now, we are all on the same side. The side against the Emperor."

Jax glared. "Emperor? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You will, but I need you to trust me."

"That'd be easier to believe if you'd let me kill him," Jax quipped as he stared at the barely conscious Black Dragon member.

"Then do it to save your friend, Sonya Blade."

Jax's fists dropped and he stood to his full height. "Sonya? What do you know about her?"

"Come with me, and I will explain everything."

Without another word, the man in gray began walking away, the unconscious Jarek slung over his shoulder.

"And where are we supposed to be going, Mr…"

Without turning, the mysterious fighter answered, "Smoke. And we're going to save your world."

/

It was late, well past sunset, and Sonya was exhausted from the strain on her mind and body since the tournament. Still, she could not bring herself to sleep. Her mind refused to be quiet, constantly flooding her with images of past and future horrors. She sat at an open window in her room, staring out into the wasteland of Outworld, her imagination replacing the decaying buildings with famous architecture of Earth, now in ruins.

How had this all happened? Sonya's eyes drifted closed as she traveled back to the island, to the ridiculous tournament, to the ignorance she had when she first arrived.

She'd never taken it seriously… not even when Tsung had challenged her in the Black Tower. She could not comprehend how dangerous he really was. She heard Rayden's voice in her head, the memory in the stone garden playing out before her. _"…he's far more dangerous than Goro…"_

She looked out the window again, struck by the similarity of her present musings with those she had on her first night on the island. Standing at a window much like this one in her private sleeping quarters, she had watched the lightning flash across the sky, had listened to the steady sheet of rain mingling with the rolling thunder, had wondered what in the hell she was doing there... and then Johnny had barged into her room.

_Sonya's head snapped towards the door, her body tense at the sudden intrusion, relaxing only when she realized it was that annoying, self-indulged actor marching in with his small bag. He slammed the door shut and threw the bag on the second bed then shook his head back and forth like a wet dog drying off.  
_

"_I can't believe I'm soaked again! How many changes of clothes do they think I can fit into one small bag?" Johnny complained angrily as he began taking off his turquoise shirt. "They'd better have dry cleaning here, or I'm calling the manager."_

_Sonya turned to face him fully, leaning back against the window ledge with her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face. Johnny, busy finding a place to hang his wet shirt, seemed completely unaware of her pointed stare. She cleared her throat._

_Johnny's head lifted and he froze._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Sonya asked icily. _

_Johnny quickly regained his composure and cocked an eyebrow. "Wondering what you did with Liu. You didn't stuff him in the closet, did you?"_

_Sonya scowled. "Liu's on the other side of the compound, where all the other men are."_

_Johnny scoffed. "Yeah, right. My sense of direction is never wrong."_

_Sonya rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb at the window. Johnny sauntered over and looked out; his face falling as he spotted several women walking around in the private covered courtyard below. _

"_Oh, hell."_

"_Your sense of direction is as reliable as your sense of smell." Sonya ignored her companion's dirty look, instead moving to sit on her bed, pulling up her boots and tugging at the tightly secured knots. After a moment, she realized the actor hadn't moved from the window, and she glared up at him._

"_Do you mind?" she hissed._

_He looked at her, a cocky smile gracing his smooth features. "No." Johnny moved over to the bed and began rifling around in his bag again. "There're some pretty crazy looking people out there, and there's always safety in numbers."_

_Sonya leaned forward on her mattress menacingly. "Do you need me to hold your hand back to your room so the boogeyman doesn't get you, little boy?"_

"_I'm not afraid of the boogeyman, but you can still hold my hand," Johnny smirked._

_The Special Forces Lieutenant wanted to suffocate him with a pillow. Instead, she stood up and stomped over to the door. "You've overstayed your welcome, Mr. Cage. Now get out before I throw you out." She lifted the handle and yanked the door open._

_It wouldn't budge._

_Sonya checked for locks but found none. Again she pulled back on the door, throwing her full weight into the motion. Again, the door resisted. _

"_What the hell?" she growled. She felt eyes on her back and turned to see Johnny standing there with a look of amusement. _

"_I'd offer to help," he said, "but then you'd make me leave."_

"_I still can," she snapped, her hand jerking towards the window._

_Johnny sighed and walked up to the door. He took the handle and pulled, a soft grunt escaping him as he, too, was bested by the immovable object. "Huh," he remarked. "Well," he said as his hands slapped down by his sides in a gesture of defeat, "guess we're locked in for the night." He leaned against the door and smiled at Sonya. "However are we going to pass the time?"_

"_That's up to you. How many broken bones do you want in the morning?"_

_Johnny shook his head. "Do you ever smile?"_

_Sonya's eyes narrowed as she thought of her mission, of Kano, of the weight of Rayden's words. "There's nothing to laugh about." She moved away towards the bathing room, the mood suddenly tense with the loss of banter._

"_I'm sorry."_

_She paused and looked at Johnny from the doorway._

"_Whatever happened… I hope you get the guy."_

_Sonya's eyebrow arched up in surprise at his keen perception. Perhaps he wasn't a complete idiot... but the night was still young. "We should get some sleep," Sonya allowed, her voice softening slightly. "I won't be long." She shut the door and turned on the water for the shower. _

_The steam filled the room, and Sonya was quick to embrace the cascading warmth of the refreshing water. Her muscles began to ease under the steady beat of the water along her back, and she could feel the tightness around her eyes drain away. Her lungs inhaled the humid air and invigorated her body with the exotic smells of teakwood and bamboo. _

_Sonya's eyes shut as her mind drifted, her body unconsciously moving through the motions of lathering and rinsing. Something about the sound of the water, the smell of the room, the calmness in her heart… something made her feel very far away, disconnected from the nightmare that was slowly unfolding on the island. The vigorous scrubs of her hands changed to gentle caresses, the strokes across her bare skin becoming slow and languid. _

_It was several moments before she realized those caresses were not her own. _

_Her heart pounded as his arms came together around her stomach, pulling her back against his bare chest. Her head tilted back, her mouth falling open when soft lips latched onto the side of her neck. She gasped as long fingers pressed into the skin of her stomach, gently moving up and down along the hourglass shape of her waist. _

_His lips moved up to her ear, pulling the lobe gently between his teeth, and Sonya felt her knees grow weak under her. Her balance slipping, she let herself move with his arms. They spun her around and lifted her back against the shower wall. Her arms and legs wrapped around his muscular body while his mouth found hers. _

_The kiss was searing, its passion something she had never experienced before. It consumed her, sending trails of fire across her body. The feel of his tongue dancing against hers left her breathless, and she thought her heart would explode in her chest. _

_Her body responded to his touch with the aching need she had long denied herself. She could resist no longer, and pressed harder against him in her urgency. She devoured his mouth as her hand wound up into his hair, gripping the long, thick strands._

_The fog snapped away in Sonya's mind. Her eyes flew open and she stared in horror as Shang Tsung sneered at her._

Sonya awoke with a scream dying on her lips. Her hand was clasped around her throat, her eyes wide and her chest heaving as she tried to understand her surroundings. She was still sitting by the window, her body curled up on the small bench where she had fallen asleep.

"Oh, God," she whispered, her hands covering her eyes while her heart slowed. The dream had been too real… she took several deep breaths to soothe the sudden sickness in her stomach. Her eyes lifted to look out the window again, watching the lightning streak across the sky.

How long would it be until that nightmare came true?

Despite her best efforts, Sonya could not stop the choking sob that worked up in her throat. She had tried to be strong, to be unbreakable, but her limits were reached, her heart overburdened with the loss of her family, her friends, her world… and now, the reality of her future was bearing rotten fruit that poisoned her dreams.

In her growing despair, Sonya stared at the skies as they flashed again, the crash of thunder vibrating through the walls into her heart. In a desperate act of hope, she sent out a silent prayer to the night.

_Rayden… help me…._


	7. And the Crown Goes to

Chapter 7: And the Crown Goes To…

_Death surrounded the two as they met blow for blow in the middle of a dark field. Thunder roared and lightning illuminated the infuriated features of the men, their eyes locked on one another as they circled, attacked, dodged, and attacked again. Words were exchanged, the voices drowned out by the rolling thunder and the increasing wind that blew dust around the two sworn enemies, one adorned in white, the other in black. _

_All too soon, the fighter in white was bested, his body being thrown up and over his opponent to slam down into the broken Earth. Blood spilled, staining the white robes into red. Energy crackled around the dark figure, his eyes glaring down on his crumbled foe. _

_Reaching out with one hand, he lifted the fallen warrior by the front of his torn robes, bringing him to his knees before him. _

"_Your soul is mine!"_

_Hand extended, a red beam issued forth and Shang Tsung absorbed the spirit as it cried out in pain and denial. Carelessly, the sorcerer let the dead weight drop away. _

_Lifeless, the body of Rayden collapsed to the Earth, bouncing once and settling in its final resting place. _

"No!" Liu Kang's cry ripped through the cell, echoing off the stone walls and out into the darkness. He sat in the lotus position on the narrow bed, his body drenched in sweat and his chest heaving. He was dimly aware of the hands that grabbed his arms and the face kneeling before him.

"Liu, Liu! What happened?"

The Shaolin monk stared numbly at his friend and cell mate as he recalled the vision that came to him during his meditation.

"Liu?"

"He killed him," he whispered. "Shang Tsung killed Rayden."

Johnny Cage rocked back on his heels, his eyes widening. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I saw it," Liu continued, his legs uncrossing and settling on the cold floor. "They battled and Rayden lost. Tsung… took his soul."

Johnny didn't move from where he crouched before Liu's bed. "How is that possible? How do you kill a god?"

Liu shook his head. "I don't know."

"When… when did-"

The monk sighed. "I don't know."

"We've gottta get outta here."

Liu shook his head and stared at the actor. Clothes torn and dirty, his face smudged with dried blood and dirt from their last escape attempt with the guards, Johnny Cage had been anything but the perfect gentleman since they'd been thrown down into the bowels of the dungeon. He nearly broke his arms trying to bust out through the cell bars after the wedding, his motions frantic with worry for their friend, Sonya Blade. Nothing Liu said could help Johnny control his anger at the demon sorcerer who had played them all like fools.

But Liu was hardly the saint between them. The burning hatred for the murderer of his ancestor, Kung Lao, and for his brother Chan, had increased to a boiling point that verged on insanity when he had been forced to observe the execution. His fists clenched as he again heard the screams of the Princess who tried to help them… and his heart ached more than once when he thought of her.

He had failed his family and his world by not challenging Shang Tsung… and now it appeared his god suffered the same fate as all those who mattered to him. He stared at his hands, swollen and dirty from the onslaught he had rendered on a guard after the execution. His clothes still smelled of the guard's blood as he beat the victim beyond recognition. It took several guards to subdue him, and nearly a day for him to return to consciousness.

Johnny had treated the wounds as best he could with what little they had… and had said nothing in reference to what occurred the day before. He didn't need to; he understood, in his own way. Since then, the two had been putting their heads together to try and find a way out, but hope was dimming. No guards had come through in hours, perhaps days. They had been out of food and were nearly out of water, and they were rapidly weakening.

Liu Kang had a feeling that if they didn't escape soon, they would not survive much longer.

Door hinges screeched from down the hallway, and both prisoners turned to watch the procession of several guards marching towards their cell. Each was armed with a bladed weapon. One monk followed behind them, his robes swishing around his short, portly frame.

"Something tells me these guys aren't here to sell us Girl Scout cookies," Johnny quipped.

The lead guard opened the cell, and the seven guards walked inside, lining up before the two prisoners. They each fell into a battle stance, their weapons brandished before them, their shoulders nearly touching and creating an impenetrable field. The monk remained in the hall, just behind the lead guard.

"By the order of the Emperor," the monk spoke gravely, "you are hereby sentenced to death."

Liu had already taken a defensive stance, but one glance at Johnny's face revealed the actor's thoughts mirrored his own. Both warriors were weak and outnumbered, and there was little room for them to maneuver to avoid the sharp weapons. Liu gritted his teeth and his fists clenched before him. If he was meant to die, he would die fighting.

"Die in peace."

Liu tensed as the lead guard raised his weapon, the other guards following suit. He felt a sudden sense of calm and was grateful for the moment of serenity…

…before the sound of retching broke his peaceful state. Beneath the feet of the lead guard, a huge puddle of yellow spread rapidly across the floor, chunks of undigested food splashing against the stone in the cascade of liquid violently projected from behind. As the guard moved forward, he slipped and lost his balance, his body quickly falling into the guard next to him. Like a set of dominoes, the guards slipped and fell into each other, their cries of surprise quickly turning into screams of pain as their weapons impaled each other.

It was over in a matter of seconds.

Johnny and Liu stared in shocked silence at the instant carnage before them, before the actor reeled back, his arm coming up across his face. "Dear God!" he cried out in disgust. "What the hell just happened? Oh, it reeks in here!"

Liu felt momentarily dizzy from the onslaught of the pungent scent entering the cell, a vicious concoction of vomit, blood, and alcohol causing his eyes to water.

"Then perhaps we should leave."

Liu and Johnny looked up at the monk still standing at the entrance, his arms settled on his extended belly, his body swaying with a drunken stagger. "Shall we?" he intoned with a gesture of his arm.

It took a moment before Liu's eyes widened in shock. On the verge of death, he hadn't realized the familiarity of the voice. Now, the voice, the body, the odor… it all came back to him at once. "Master Cho?"

The hood fell back to reveal a round, full face covered with a long dark beard and glazed eyes. His smile was radiant, whether from seeing his old student or from the liquor in his blood was unclear. He held his arms out. "Liu Kang!"

Johnny, his arm still protecting his nose from the noxious fumes, stared at Liu. "You know this clown?"

"He was my teacher once," Liu said, mystified, "but how did you end up here? In Outworld?"

Bo'Rai Cho swayed as he stepped away from the door, beckoning them out. "Ah, young Liu, there's much you do not know about me. I will be happy to fill you in, but not here. We must escape while the emperor prepares his arrival to Earth."

"He hasn't invaded yet?" Liu asked hopefully, hoping over the fallen guards.

The drunken master shook his head. "No, he has been enslaving your people since the loss of the Final Kombat. He has simply been waiting to arrive and announce Earth Realm as his."

"Why?" Johnny asked as tried to find a place to step over the pile of bodies. His foot slipped and he groaned in disgust. "Oh, God, it's on my shoes!"

"Rumor is Shang Tsung will be claiming ownership of Earth, with Shao Kahn's blessing… and with his wife ruling at his side."

Johnny's head snapped up, his shoes forgotten. "Sonya? Is she ok?"

Bo'Rai Cho observed the actor for a moment. "As far as I know, she is fine. But Tsung is planning something and he insists on having her involved. Whatever it is, no good can from it." He turned his eyes back to Liu. "That is why I am here, to return you both to Earth to help fight."

Liu straightened. "Fight?"

"Yes," he nodded. "You are the last to be retrieved, now with most of Kahn's forces entering Earth Realm giving us a better chance to escape unnoticed. Tonight, the emperor will give the Realm of Earth to Shang Tsung… and he's got one hell of a welcoming committee ready to greet him."

"Rayden?" Liu asked, his breath held.

The master paused, his face expressionless. "The Thunder God is dead."

Liu's breath left him in a rush, his gut feeling as though it had been kicked. "So it was true," he whispered, his head bowed in sorrow.

Johnny was silent, his eyes closed and his arms crossed in front of him. After a moment, he spoke. "Master Cho, what is the plan for tonight?"

"For the others, to stage an attack on Shao Kahn during the welcoming ceremony, retrieve Sonya Blade, and destroy as many of his generals as possible. Defeating Shao Kahn is not likely at this time, but we'll give him enough of a blow to send him running."

"What about Shang Tsung?" Liu asked.

Master Cho rocked on his feet. "He is being targeted as well."

Liu shook his head vehemently. "No, I was meant to end this, and I will."

"Not if I get there first," Johnny growled. The actor and the monk stared at each other.

"Neither of you will be there tonight."

Both warriors turned to look at the drunken master in surprise then anger.

"What do you mean-"

"No way I'm being left-"

Master Cho held up is hand to cut both rants short. "You two can barely stand. You are weak, injured, and not in fighting condition. You will rest and then you will fight." He turned and staggered towards the stairs. "Even if we fight our best tonight, there will still be another chance to set things right."

"Why?" Liu asked, impatience coloring his voice.

"I will explain everything, once we return."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Johnny stepped around the large martial arts master and started up the stairs.

"Eager, isn't he?" Bo'Rai Cho questioned his young student.

"He has a score to settle with Tsung," Liu answered darkly. "We all do."

Bo'Rai nodded. "We will return quickly to Earth before anyone notices you are missing." Both warriors headed up in pursuit of Johnny, when a voice stopped them.

"Then you better make that a trip for four, mate, or I'm going to call on Shang Tsung personally."

Liu and Bo'Rai paused in mid stride, looking at each other for a moment before looking back down the hall to another occupied cell.

"Damn," Liu whispered, "I forgot about him."

"Who?" Master Cho asked.

"Kano."

"That's right, and I want out of here, or your travel plans are gonna be cut short." The Earth Realm criminal leaned against the bars of his cell, his red eye glinting in the torch light. "So why don't you be a good boy, and unlock the cell, and we can all leave like one big happy family?"

Master Cho looked at Liu. "We cannot risk Tsung being informed of your escape."

"You're not thinking about bringing him with us? He was working for Tsung during the tournament!" Liu argued. He glared at the criminal. "He'll turn on us the first chance he gets."

"Well… we could kill him."

As one, both warriors looked at Kano, their expressions serious.

"Hey, wait a second," Kano stammered as they approached his cell. He backed away, holding his hands up. "Now you don't want to do that, mate. I got inside information, you guys need me."

"I doubt that," Liu said.

A swift kick by the drunken master broke the lock, and the cell door crept open. Both warriors stepped in, driving Kano back against the wall. He put his hands up, his brow beginning to sweat under the heat of their stares.

"Wait, wait! You're the good guys, ain't ya? You're supposed to protect people!"

"We are," Liu replied, reaching up to place his hand against the wall and leaning casually closer to Kano. "We're protecting everyone else from you."

"Please don't kill me!" Kano suddenly cried out, the menacing stares of his opponents erasing the nerve and bravado he once had.

"And you were a Chosen One," Bo'Rai muttered, rolling his eyes at the pathetic pleas of the criminal.

"Really?" Liu asked.

Bo'Rai's hand shot out and clenched Kano's throat, his eyes suddenly clear. He moved closer and spoke quietly. "It's only for the sake that you have an actual purpose in Earth Realm that we spare you," he breathed, Kano's face turning slightly green from his sour breath. "Make one wrong move, and I will sit on you." The drunken master released Kano, letting his feet touch the ground once more, and the two monks walked away.

Kano followed, growling in embarrassment, but said nothing.

"I'd better let Johnny know he's with us, before he seems him," Liu said softly.

"Bad blood between them?"

"Sonya only went to the tournament to arrest him. Shang Tsung used Kano to get Sonya to board his ship of her own free will." Bo'Rai's face had a look of indifference, until his eyes widened in understanding. "Yeah," Liu continued. "If she'd never gotten on that boat…"

"Tsung never would have twisted the tournament in his favor."

"And, possibly, Earth may not have been lost."

A chuckle from behind them disturbed their hushed conversation. "It's all bullshit," Kano snickered at Liu, his arrogance slowly returning. "He's just trying to pass the buck, and you know it. Truth is, pretty boy's to blame, and he can't deal with it." He cocked his head at Bo'Rai Cho. "The hero never loses, at least not in his movies." With a chuckle he sauntered ahead. "Just proves how fake he really is."

Laughing, the criminal brushed past them and headed up the stairs.

"Do we _really_ need him?" Liu asked before running ahead.

To no one in particular, Bo'Rai rolled his eyes and said, "I should have killed him," before following his student.

/

Everything happened in a whirl of movement and dark colors. Sonya was whisked away by her servants and dressed up like a fragile doll in a flowing blood red gown, a black velvet cloak adorned around her shoulders. Her hair was done up, her face painted in subtle and alluring colors, and then she was escorted to the great hall where her husband stood waiting patiently. He was dressed in a simple black suit with a blood red cape, his hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.

He said nothing to her, simply giving a nod of approval of her appearance. She remained silent as Shao Kahn entered the hall, his attire no different than before. The Dark Lords followed behind him, each dressed in simple black. Behind them were several Shokan warriors, still and silent.

Sonya recognized Motaro, and next to him stood a smaller, female version of Goro. Sonya winced at the memory of the deceased Prince, recalling too well his inhuman strength. Distantly she wondered if there was any relation between the two and then she pushed it from her mind. It didn't matter now.

Nothing mattered now. Except survival.

"It is time."

A portal formed as Shao Kahn spoke. Sonya lifted her eyes toward the swirling blue and purple vortex. A shudder ran through her. Her eyes darted left and she was pinned by the cold stare of the Emperor drilling into her. A ruthless smile crossed his lips, his tongue sweeping across his teeth. Sonya was reminded of a starving man about to indulge in a feast.

He turned and entered the portal to Earth Realm. His entourage followed, formal and precise. Sonya and Tsung were to enter last, but as the moments passed by, she found herself floundering to stay in control.

How could they do this to her? Place the fate of the world on her shoulders, rip freedom from her fingers, enslave her kind then tell her to lead them? Sonya's fists tightened. Here she was, a puppet on strings, dancing for their amusement.

Cold fingers dug into the sensitive skin behind her elbow. She gasped and looked at Tsung. "Behave yourself," he spoke softly. "You can't fight this. This is your destiny."

"I never wanted this," she responded before she could stop herself.

"Learn to." He pulled her forward and Sonya was transported back home.

/

"Confirmed, she's here," the voice crackled through the radio.

"Roger that. Send word, the fireworks will begin on my command."

"Copy that. Be careful."

"Double for you, Stryker. Jax out." The ex-Major clipped the radio back onto his belt and moved through the gathered crowds, discreetly checking the designated stations of his fellow rebels. Everyone appeared to be in place, the explosives buried and rigged, and now it was just a matter of waiting. He looked up at the recently constructed tower where the enemy forces were converged. At the front, a towering presence of meat and muscle was preaching to the survivors of Earth, bragging about his greatness.

Suddenly, fire filled the air and he flinched, barely stopping himself from pulling his firearm in reaction. People screamed as an awesome display of power filled the area. As quickly as it started it was gone, and he was promising them sanctity in exchange for loyalty, devout and unconditional.

He continued moving toward the front. He caught a glimpse of red and gold, bringing him to a standstill. He inhaled then moved again. Though she was too far to make out clearly, Jax could see his partner and friend for the first time since Hong Kong and the pier. He gritted his teeth as he imagined what she'd been through, and all he knew was that anyone who got in his way of freeing Sonya would not suffer briefly.

He fingered the automatic weapon at his side and swore he wouldn't miss.

/

When the nausea passed, the land was dark to her clear eyes. Mountains stood in the distance, dark shadows against darker clouds. It was a place barren of trees or life. There was nothing. Confused, Sonya turned to the sorcerer for an explanation, when lightning split the sky. After her eyes adjusted, she saw thousands herded together by the beasts of Outworld.

She was back on Earth, viewing those who would be called her subjects. Despite having seen the destruction before, Sonya was still nauseated.

Tsung seemed immune. He looked bored listening to the Emperor talk down to the people of Earth. Sonya couldn't concentrate on the words being too caught up in the utter destruction of her world. What life could her people lead here?

Screams of terror brought her wide eyes on Kahn and he was reigning down fire from the sky on the crowds. His booming voice traveled on the winds as he shouted, "Is this what you envisioned Armageddon would be like, pitiful creatures? Death by fire, yes?" And the earth trembled. It shook people to their knees as the lands split; steam hissed and fountains of flame burst forth. Screams and laughter continued to mingle in the night sky, the bright glow of the fire allowing Sonya the clear image of her race scrambling from the heat, fighting to stay alive. The scene was so much like the execution of the Edenians, it left her almost paralyzed.

"Or, I can be merciful!" Instantly the fires extinguished, the devil skulls vanished, and the crowds found themselves in a haven. "I can execute you all, torture you until you beg for death."

Khan's voice suddenly changed, from malevolent to serious and calm. "But I can also grant you wealth and power beyond comprehension. It's as simple as making a pledge. Swear eternal loyalty to me, serve me in whatever I ask, and I will give you control of your own lives. Wealth, power, beauty, the right to rule others, it can be yours.

"You can serve me, or you can resist me, and live your life as a slave on Earth. You will suffer for years to come, until you die of exhaustion or extermination. Not a pleasant way to go out." Again, he laughed. "For you at least."

The crowds were crying out in anger, despair, and disgust. From where she stood, she could see and hear every cry. It was cruel.

"Now, show respect to the one who will intercede for your mercy. The new ruler of Earth…"

Sonya found herself cringing at the absolute sneer of the Emperor as his eyes latched onto hers. To her left, she watched Tsung step forward, ready to assume his new place of power, a power she would be forced to share…

"Sindel."

_Who?_ Sonya stared at the Emperor, uncomprehending. She looked at Tsung who had paused midstride, his face one of barely masked shock, a sudden fury burning in his eyes. He didn't expect this either. _Betrayed!_

A scream shattered the air making Sonya's skin crawled. From the thunderous skies a woman dressed in purple and black descended to stand next to Shao Kahn, her black and white hair billowing behind her. When she looked across the crowds, her eyes glowed.

She radiated power and Kahn looked on her fondly. Sonya's heart sank. Something was wrong, and as Kahn sneered at her again, she had the distinct feeling her life was about to be forfeit.

Tsung was suddenly by her side, a fierce look on his face, all formality gone. "My Lord, what are you doing? Our plan for OrderRealm and the talismans!"

Kahn's eyes lit up in anger at being publicly challenged. "You will still carry out your orders, Shang Tsung, but Earth Realm will not go to your weak excuse for a bride. It shall be ruled properly, in a manner fit for these disgusting mortals. Earth Realm now belongs to a true woman of power, my wife."

Shang Tsung stared, a surge of dark energy seeming to electrify the air around him. Sonya felt compelled to move away before they broke out into a brawl, but Tsung conceded. "As you wish." His voice was anything but compliant. "My wife and I will take our leave now."

"No. She still has a purpose here." Kahn snapped his fingers and Sonya was seized by two Shokan warriors. Tsung stepped forward to be blocked by Kahn's meaty hand around his shirt. "Do you dare cross me?"

A pause. "Never, my lord." Tsung gave one look at Sonya then stepped away, standing among the other Dark Lords with a look of impassivity.

Then Sonya was being dragged over to the edge of the platform, Sindel and Kahn moving to stand on either side of her. She had a bad feeling about this.

/

"What the hell is going on, Jax?" Stryker's voice came over the radio.

Jax was crouched down near the front of the crowd, using his tattered cloak to hide his communications with the rest of the group. "I don't know. This isn't going like I thought. Jade and the others must have gotten bad info."

"What about the escape?"

Jax winced. The ambush was supposed to happen once Tsung and Sonya were isolated from the others, allowing the rebels to put heavy fire down on the enemy without risking Sonya's life. Now it looked like she was about to be put up for execution. If they attacked too soon, opposing forces could regroup quickly and smack down the rebellion. If they waited too long, Sonya could be killed.

One life versus many.

_Damn it._

"Just wait for my word."

"Jax?"

"Just do it!"

/

"People of Earth," Kahn began. "I'm feeling generous." He stepped forward and grabbed Sonya's arm, the two Shokan warriors returning to their ranks. "This mortal was one among many who fought for your realm… and lost. It was foolish to think such a pathetic woman could beat our best man."

Sonya glared at the Emperor.

"But perhaps she'll have a better chance against a woman! What do you say, humans? A battle for the right to rule Earth! Sonya Blade versus Sindel!" Kahn laughed at Sonya's confused stare. "To the death!"

_What?_ Then Sonya was lifted off her feet and thrown forward, the ground below flying up at her. Instinct forced her to tuck and roll, and she sustained minimal injury as she landed on the solid ground below. Her military training went into overdrive and her senses honed: the tower behind her, the crowd blocked by several Shokan warriors around her. Cries of rage and encouragement from the humans mingled with roars from the Outworlders. The acrid smell of charred wood and metal assaulted her nose, mixed with the tang of sweat and foul meat.

Then, from far away, she could make out the enraged cry of a man. Her eyes shot up to the platform she was thrown from, not more than 20 feet high, and Tsung was grappling with Kahn before he was pulled from sight. The ex-Lieutenant had no time to consider the event when she caught sight of her opponent settling onto the ground near her.

Sonya slowly stood, her heart pounding in the familiar beat of anticipation. She pulled the cloak from her shoulders and reached down to rip the bottom portion of her dress, allowing free movement of her legs. She kicked off the offensive heels and placed herself into a combative stance.

Sindel, the pale skinned woman who could fly and shatter glass with her scream, smirked and did the same.

Slowly, everything faded away except the steady pattern of her breathing, the feel of the ground beneath her feet, the tensing of her abdomen and the narrowing of her eyes. She saw three openings.

Sonya smiled. If she died today, so be it. But she wasn't going alone.

"FIGHT!"


	8. Come Away With Me

_Robin: Thanks for the conversation, Lady. Made some adjustments in this chapter which will be explained in the next (hopefully solves that problem of the middle ground). _

_DarkAssassin: Thank you for the review and your remarks; I hope you are not disappointed._

_To all the readers: thoughts and concerns are open for discussion! I'm always looking for improvement. Thank you!_

Chapter 8: Come Away With Me

Sonya charged ahead, throwing a powerful right jab at Sindel. It was easily blocked, a hook returned by her opponent, and Sonya feinted to the left to come back with a sharp left uppercut, catching Sindel between the ribs. A right cross then a low left roundhouse to Sindel's right leg left the other woman down on one knee. Sonya grabbed her head and smashed it down into her right knee, knocking the white haired woman onto her back, blood gushing from her nose.

Sonya moved forward, raising her foot to bring the heel down on Sindel's throat and crushing her larynx. The piercing scream sent her body into paralysis. Sonya could do nothing but watch as Sindel rolled to her feet and began a devastating punch combo. The Edenian grabbed Sonya's throat, lifted her off the ground, and threw her 15 feet away. Her seized muscles prevented Sonya from breaking her fall, and she landed hard on her right shoulder. Her head cracked against the ground and everything went fuzzy.

The world was spinning but she was able to make out the high heeled boots moving towards her. As her body became her own again, Sonya moved to her knees and blocked a low kick. Her head wound left her movements sluggish, leaving her unable to move fast enough to stop the fist that drove down into the wound on her head. Stars burst behind her eyes and Sonya fell forward once again.

Everything was fading in and out. The crowd was one loud echo of noise, the shouts and cries blurring into a steady stream of incomprehensible sound. Lightning flashed at a snail's pace, and the ground was slick with her blood. Multiple Sindels were posing for the crowd. She was declaring herself victor.

The lieutenant in her would have none of that. Rolling onto her stomach, she forced herself up on shaking arms, blinking rapidly the blood from her eyes. Gathering her feet under her, she stood, rolling her shoulders back and steadying her breath. She would show no weakness.

From above, a voice rumbled in the night, "Finish her."

Sindel bowed to her emperor then turned back to the mortal warrior. She flicked her head, spun her body, and her hair suddenly stretched and snapped around Sonya like a whip.

The force was crushing her, choking the life from her body. Sonya suddenly felt a rush of panic, an instinctive reaction to the imminent danger she face. The need for survival flooded her veins with a surge of emotion and adrenaline, and a voice inside her screamed out in defiance, refusing to die. Suddenly the world around her was on fire, her body encased in tremendous heat and energy.

The choke hold was gone, her body free to collapse to the ground as her lungs filled with air once more. Despite her heaving breaths, everything else around her had become still, frozen in place. The air had gone silent. Sonya swallowed then opened her eyes and looked around her.

She saw first the shocked faces of the crowd. Then the scorch marks around her. Then the collapsed body of Sindel not three feet away, the remaining strands of her hair blackened and smoking. The appointed Queen of Earth was still breathing, barely, but looked burned, painfully.

Shang Tsung, Sonya thought. He intervened, he must have. She couldn't stop the smirk. Maybe the Emperor would kill him for his act. She could only be so lucky.

Her gaze moved up to the platform where the Outworld royalty was seated, but she didn't see Tsung being strangled by Kahn as she expected. He was being held on his knees by two Shokan warriors, and he looked as shocked as everyone else. Then she met eyes with the Emperor, and she shuddered.

He looked positively murderous.

Kahn's booming voice filled the air, his anger turned upon his once most trusted demon sorcerer. "I don't know what treachery you were planning, but it ends now!"

A flash of light and a hammer appeared in his right hand then the emperor leapt from the platform to crash down beside Sonya, the ground shaking with his massive weight. She fell back, her body not responding as her mind commanded. She wanted to stand and fight; instead she scrambled away from him as he stalked her. Rage danced in his eyes and his hammer was raised over his head, his intent clear. He would crush her beyond recognition.

Death was knocking at her door, yet she couldn't muster the strength to go down standing up. Distantly she heard multiple explosions but her eyes only saw the hammer as it arced towards her. The weight fell upon her shoulders, and the world went black.

/

Explosions. Smoke. Pure hatred. And then his hammer smashed into the ground, several cracks snaking away from the hole in the ground. Kahn pulled his arm back and snarled.

The bitch was gone.

He spun around, searching for her, his mind racing how she could have escaped him in her weakened state. Perhaps the same way she had bested his Queen…

Roars to his right drew his attention to the crowd. Pitiful humans were running for their lives as cloaked figures attacked his Outworld army. Sharp, rapid rapports were quickly followed by screams and splatters of gore as his soldiers were cut down by human weapons. More explosions went off sending black smoke billowing into the stormy night.

Kahn growled low in his throat. An uprising. How quaint. He was mildly surprised that these disgraceful creatures could organize something so quick… and effective. He took stock of his soldiers' numbers rapidly dwindling and his future slaves disappearing into the night under the cloak of fire and chaos.

But no one attacked him.

So this wasn't an assassination attempt. No, it was a rescue for the blonde. And a message.

Someone was helping the humans.

He gazed at the diminishing battle, his soldiers running off into the night to kill off any stragglers, but felt little concern. This was something trivial he could deal with later. The humans would simply pay more dearly than before.

Pity.

Kahn turned and claimed his wife. She did not stir as he lifted her, the powerful blow dealt by Sonya Blade having rendered her unconscious. His grip tightened on her as he called up a portal back to Outworld. He looked for General Motaro, who appeared at his side as if he'd read his thoughts. Naturally, the minotaur was never far from his master, choosing to remain available to assist the emperor rather than take pursuit of the enemy.

"Shall we search them out?" Motaro growled.

"No. They will be destroyed, it is inevitable. First, I want answers. Get this cleaned up," he commanded his General. "And bring me Shang Tsung. Now."

/

He screamed. He could do nothing else. The spell was seizing his body and forcing it to contort in unnatural angles. He bit down on his tongue to hold back the sobs, to stop the begging that longed to burst from his drooling mouth. He would maintain some form of dignity, even in the throes of torture.

It was becoming a losing battle.

The spell dispersed and he collapsed on the cold stone floor, his chest heaving. Sweat ran down his face but he didn't wipe it away. Perhaps the streaks could hide the tears that had slipped from his eyes in his agony. When his pants ceased, the question came again.

"What did you teach her?"

Shang Tsung looked up, high enough to see the set line of his emperor's mouth, but no further than that. He couldn't look into his eyes without showing the fear he felt. Fear built in the knowledge that he was telling the truth… but Shao Kahn did not believe him.

"I swear, in your great name, I taught her nothing."

"Liar!" Kahn's foot kicked out and caught Tsung in the chin, knocking him onto his back. The sorcerer coughed and blood stained the floor. "It was sorcery and you know it! She is a mere mortal, a human!" he spat. "A worthless creature can not possess such power!"

_I do_, Tsung thought. But saying that wouldn't help him. He lay still as Kahn paced above him, fervently trying to understand what had happened in the battle. Sindel was about to rip his wife to shreds when a brilliant flash of fire erupted from the blonde warrior, engulfing them both in a blaze that sent people in the crowd cowering from the intense heat.

Sindel was lucky to be alive. Sonya, once found, would not be.

His fist clenched as anger swept through him. What secrets had she kept from him…

The spell afflicted him again and his body arched off the ground, another ragged cry tearing from his throat. His arms convulsed around him and the violent spasms rolled him onto his side, his head smacking against the floor until he felt the skin split on his skull.

Again he was released. He choked in air against exhausted lungs. There was a sharp tug on his hair and he was dragged painfully to his knees. Kahn towered over him, his usual cocky smile long gone from his face.

"You planned to betray me?"

Tsung attempted to shake his head. The emperor's strong grip prevented him. "No, never."

"I don't believe you."

"It is the truth." He forced his eyes to meet Kahn's. "I swear it."

Kahn peered into his eyes, looking deep into the darkest part of his soul. His eyes narrowed. Eventually, he spoke. "Why did you try to stop the fight?"

Tsung's brow furrowed, the ebbing pain making his mind slow.

"You almost seemed… concerned for your disgusting bride." He pulled Tsung's head closer, hissing rancid breath in his face. "Do you really care for her so much?"

The sorcerer's eyes dropped before he could stop himself. Kahn growled and threw him down.

"Pathetic. She's making you human again."

"Never!" Tsung hissed. He struggled to sit up. Kahn's foot stepped down onto his chest, pressing the air from him slowly.

"I should destroy you right now. I have no use for crippled warriors in my circle."

Tsung could only wheeze in protest.

"But," he allowed, stepping away, "I still need the talisman from ChaosRealm." He paused as Tsung gasped for air. "I have lost confidence in you, Shang Tsung. You've been bested by a woman, a mortal human woman."

"I will find her-"

"You will challenge Latrom for OrderRealm and defeat him," Kahn interrupted. "Your association with Earth is finished. You will not disappoint me again."

"No."

Kahn turned back to the demon sorcerer, glaring as he regained his feet. "No?" he asked quietly.

Tsung met his gaze, unflinching. "Someone taught her that power. Someone who may be connected to Earth's rebellion. Someone who may be planning your death right now."

Kahn glowered. "Impossible," he hissed.

"These humans are resourceful. They've risen up even in the face of absolute destruction. I…" He inhaled, flinching as he continued. "I underestimated Sonya. I will not make that mistake with the rest of them." He stepped forward. "Let me redeem myself, your Eminence. I will find her… and I will give her to you, as an offering of my devotion to the only true ruler of the realms."

The emperor sneered. "You think I will let you do that?"

"I will give you Sonya Blade's life to possess… or mine."

"How heartwarming."

"I have no heart," Tsung snapped. "Only loyalty to you."

A pause. "Very well. But fail me…" Kahn walked away, leaving the threat hanging.

Tsung was left alone, bleeding and fuming. All he could think was how Sonya had made him a fool… and all he could picture was revenge. There would never be mercy for her again.

/

The room was dark, the temperature cool, and the smell clean but old. She was swaying as she breathed. It took a moment to realize she was lying in a hammock. The rocking motion was soothing and she was tempted to slip back into sleep. Instead she forced her eyes to scan the room and know her surroundings.

The walls were made of stone and clay. A single door was at the opposite end of the room. A small lantern on the floor provided the minimal light in the room. No windows were present.

No one else was present, either.

She listened for any sounds that would clarify her location. Distantly she heard soft voices but nothing beyond that and her own breathing.

The room was not familiar to her. She tried to remember what happened that led her to this point. Outworld. Crowning. Sindel. Fighting. Explosion. Kahn. More explosions. Smoke.

Then room.

So… friends or foes?

Her hand reached up to where her head throbbed. She could feel a lump under a soft piece of cloth. Someone bandaged her head. Her eyes ran down her body and she spotted another bandage around her right shoulder, the red gown having been torn away at some point. She grimaced when she realized they'd left the rest of the dress on her.

Whether that was a good or bad thing, Sonya wasn't sure. But what she wouldn't give for a good clean uniform just then…

She slipped from the hammock. Her body was steady, her energy renewed from sleep and medical treatment. She felt better than she had in a long time. All she needed was a weapon. Her choices were few: dress, hammock, or lantern.

While she supposed she could use the element of surprise on an opponent by attacking in the nude, she would have no protection. That would not do. Option 1 was out.

The lantern would make for a good blunt instrument, and setting the victim on fire would certainly stop any attack on her person, at least momentarily. However, setting someone on fire was not the best way to remain anonymous in an unknown location. It was rather hard to escape when everyone was aware of your departure.

Option 3 out.

That left the hammock. Sonya checked off three different ways she could maximize its use, including suffocation, strangulation, and just good old fashioned confinement of an enemy's head and limbs, when the door swung open and a man walked into her room.

"Oh, you're awak-" He was grabbed, spun head over heels onto his back, and pinned beneath her, a hand clenched around his mouth before he had a chance to gasp. A thin bar pressed across his throat and he stilled.

"One wrong move and I'll take your head off." She looked at the door. "Anyone with you?" He responded in the negative. She moved her hand away enough for him to speak. "Who are you?"

"Kurtis Stryker, NYPD. A pleasure."

"We're in New York?"

"No, New Mexico. I think." He shifted. "And I'm on your side, so how about a little compassion here?"

Sonya's eyes narrowed. "Really? And I suppose I'll just take your word for that?"

"You can take mine, its worth more."

Sonya looked up at the deep voice from the towering man in the doorway.

"Thank you, Jax," Stryker grumbled, "Way to make a guy feel appreciated."

The cop forgotten, Sonya was on her feet and embracing her friend and partner. "Oh, thank God!" She pulled away quickly, her eyes scanning his face. "I thought everyone was dead!" A broad smile crossed her face. "I should have known better."

"Damn straight," Jax scolded, pulling her in for another hug, uncaring of the public display of affection that both typically abhorred. "I had to stick around to reprimand your dumb ass for running off like that. Speaking of which," he pulled away and stuck a finger in her face, "you are in serious trouble when we get the world back to normal."

Sonya rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean it. I'm going to tie you to a leash, I swear to God."

"That would be cruel and unusual punishment," Stryker cut in, now on his feet and his nightstick replaced at his side. "Use a shock collar instead."

"Speaking from experience, Junior?" Sonya mocked, one eyebrow raised.

Jax didn't give him the chance to answer. "Hungry?"

Sonya's eyes lit up. "Famished."

"Come on."

/

After savoring a military style pre-packed meal, a dish which she found more satisfying than any feast on Outworld, Sonya was given some privacy for a shower and a fresh set of clothes. She made quick work of the shower, eager to learn more about what had happened at the appointing ceremony. Jax had only touched on the realm invasion, the survival of the citizens, and the building of the resistance. When she tried to press for more details, he denied her until after she'd changed.

Now adorned in black pants, a white top, black jacket, and combat boots, hair pulled back in her typical no nonsense ponytail, Sonya not only felt like herself, but she looked normal again. She walked briskly from the small room and met Jax in a long hallway lit every few feet by hanging lanterns. She wasted no time in demanding a detailed description of the previous events.

Jax laughed. "Welcome back, Lieutenant." They began down the hall. "We knew you were supposed to be at that tower last night, so we planned a search and rescue."

"Who's we?"

"Oh, just some friends." He ignored Sonya's frown. "We used explosives and cloak and dagger firearm tactics to scatter enemy lines, stretch them thin, and then our trained assassins took out the more serious competition.

"Assassins?"

"And once we got you out of there, we hightailed it back here," he waved his hands around, "our new home base." He looked at her like that explained everything."

"Jax, you've left me with more questions than answers." They entered a large room with ascending stairs and stone statues high up on the walls.

"Yeah, that's how I first felt," he sighed. "Then I talked to them." He pointed behind her and she turned.

Standing around a large circular table stood a group of men and women, all in various forms of dress, deep in conversation with a white haired man who appeared in charge.

"Rayden?" Sonya's voice carried across the room, and all stopped talking to turn and look at her. Her face fell when the white haired man looked at her, his face not recognizable to her at all.

"Sonya Blade, you are awake," he called out to her, his voice deep yet soft, his eyes glowing brightly. "I sincerely hope you are feeling better."

"Where is Rayden?" she asked, moving quickly toward the group. Her eyes darted among the faces, finding none to be familiar at first glance. She looked back at the man in charge and waited for an answer. All were quiet around her.

His face was expressionless. "The Thunder God is dead."


	9. Exposition

Chapter 9: Exposition

"The Thunder God is dead." When Fujin, it was soft and grave.

Sonya's heart sank as she realized Shao Kahn had been telling the truth.

"The mortal is still alive and kicking, though."

Sonya's head whipped around behind her at the raspy voice. Hands clasped behind him, dressed in a simple brown robe, hair long and dirty with dust, Rayden smiled at her.

Sonya immediately noticed something was wrong, and as his words hit her, she realized he seemed less ethereal. He looked as human, and as haggard, as the rest of them. The energy that had once made him radiant was replaced by bone weary exhaustion, yet his smile was still strong. He may no longer be a god, but he was far from dead.

"Mortal?" she asked. "What…"

"A lot has happened while you've been away." He placed his hand on her shoulder when she flinched. "Don't. It's not your fault."

Sonya's fists clenched. "You didn't have the fate of the world on your shoulders," she said lowly. But that wasn't quite true, was it? She shook her head. Her mouth opened to speak but he cut her off.

"Forget about it. What's done is done. Even the gods can't predict the future."

"What can the gods do, now that the realms have merged?"

"Intervene, but not interfere," a quiet voice answered.

Sonya looked over to the man with glowing eyes. It didn't take a genius to make the leap. "So which god are you?"

"Fujin, wind god, and the new protector of Earth Realm." He nodded in greeting. "I have been assisting in the orchestration of Earth's resistance. I am forbidden from many things or else I could lose my place as the protector."

"Wait." Sonya turned to Rayden. "Why are you no longer a god, and if you had no power outside of Earth, and the realms merged," she looked back at Fujin, "then how are you still a god?"

"Once the merger began, I knew Shao Kahn would come to end my life," Rayden answered. "I choose not to give him the satisfaction. I gave up my right as protector of Earth and my immortality to disappear. Fujin is my successor. His lack of participation in anything Earth or other realm related has made him a disinterested party to the Emperor. Shao Kahn sees no threat in him.

"As for the powers, gods can move freely across realms, but are limited in how they interact with others, especially with mortals and their affairs."

Sonya scoffed. "But Kahn can invade and enslave realms without limitations? Why don't the rules apply to him?"

Fujin answered. "He is not a god. He is only a powerful immortal."

Jax leaned down next to Sonya. "Yeah, I didn't get that either."

"I hate politics," she hissed. She turned back to Fujin. "All right, fill me in. What have I missed?"

"Once the merger began," Fujin said, "I searched out Earth's Chosen Ones. Nightwolf was the first." He gestured towards a Native American with a painted face, who nodded in greeting to Sonya. "His ability to call on the spirits enabled us to use his reservation, these hallowed grounds, as a place of protection against the Outworlders. Only those who are invited may enter here."

"Shaman?" she asked him.

"Yes. How are you feeling?" He stared hard at her.

She was surprised by the question. "Fine. Better than I can remember, actually." She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You were afflicted."

"A spell," Rayden answered her confused stare. He lifted her palm where the scar from the wedding continued to scab, as if it refused to heal. "A trickery on your mind to increase doubt, make you less stable to cope with stress."

Sonya stared at her hand, recalling the searing pain and the flashes, and then the confusion and the increasing fear. It never occurred to her how unlike herself she had been. She should have been angry, she supposed, but instead it gave her a small bit of satisfaction knowing Tsung had to resort to magic to control her.

How pathetic. "This won't happen again, will it?" Sonya asked Nightwolf.

"It shouldn't."

"Good." She looked back at Fujin. "Continue."

"After Nightwolf began bringing humans here for safety, our first contact from Outworld arrived. I understand you two know each other."

Sonya looked over at the woman adorned in green. "Do we?"

The woman sniffed, but her smile held no bitterness. "To me, you are a bitch, and to you, I am nothing more than another bloody stain on your boot."

She scanned the woman, a distant memory returning to her from not long ago. "You were at the tournament. I… oh."

"Yes, my face still hurts from that swift kick to the head."

Sonya supposed she should feel sorry, but frankly, she didn't care. "I regret nothing."

Jade laughed. "Neither would I. I'd like to say you fought well… but I never had the chance to see, did I?"

"You fought for Outworld. Why are you helping us now?"

"Kitana. I was her bodyguard and she was my friend. She was a good woman who didn't deserve to die. Kahn has always been the root of treachery, and she believed Earth could be the key to his destruction. I've sworn to avenge her, and to return my home world of Edenia to its former glory in her honor."

"Jade gave us the information about Kitana, Kahn's and Tsung's plans, and your purpose in Outworld," Fujin continued. "She's also provided us with hundreds of warriors from different realms who have chosen to rise up against Kahn. They were the ones who helped in the night of the attack."

"You were also the one following me?" Sonya asked.

"No, that was Li Mei," Jade corrected.

"Damn, I must be slipping. How long did you know?"

Sonya looked over at a young woman with long dark hair and a skimpy purple outfit. "I caught you twice."

She rolled her eyes. "Great." She looked again at Sonya. "Did Tsung ever say anything?"

"No."

"Good. I was spying on him, reporting his movements back here. I just checked up on you every once in a while."

"You mean twice?"

Li Mei simply gave her a look.

"You're a member of Jade's group?"

The young woman shook her head. "No, Tsung enslaved my village and murdered my family. I'd like to return the favor."

"Yes, he is Mr. Popularity right now," Sonya sighed. Her eyes darted around to the others at the table. "And the rest of you?"

"You've already met Stryker," Fujin pointed out. "He and his partner Kabal set the explosives." Both waved at her. "Smoke was the one helped you away from the tower."

Sonya looked at the dark clad ninja, really noticing for the first time the gray wisps that seemed to appear from his tunic. "You look like the other two from the tournament," she commented.

"Scorpion and Sub-Zero," he replied. "We are all assassins… some better than others."

"Thank you. For the lift."

He nodded.

"And sitting over in the corner is Bo'Rai Cho." Sonya turned to look at a great dough ball of a man, apparently passed out deep in the folds of his robe. She gave him the once over.

"Is he a pastry chef or a priest who loves his sacrificial wine?"

Fujin smiled. "A great warrior from Outworld, actually, and one of Liu Kang's teachers."

Sonya scoffed. "Yeah, right." Then his words sank in. Her eyes darted around and she had a moment of self-reproach. "Wait, Liu and Johnny. Where are they?"

"They're here, thanks to Bo'Rai," Rayden interjected. "They're fine, just resting."

"There's something else you should know," Jax muttered. "Johnny and Liu didn't come alone."

Sonya turned.

"We have Jarek. And Kano."

Sonya stared. "Alive?"

"Yes."

She grabbed his sidearm and performed a sharp about face towards the hallway. Jax plucked the gun from her hand, halting her forward motion, and sighed.

"No."

"Fine, I'll use my bare hands," she growled.

"No, Sonya, we're keeping them alive."

"Whatever the hell for?"

"They are Chosen Ones," Fujin answered, "and it's my job to protect all of you."

"And I thought Shang Tsung knew how to feed a line of bullshit," Sonya snapped.

Rayden grabbed her elbow. "He's right. Despite their immorality in human affairs, they are still considered the best of Earth's warriors. We may need them."

"The only thing they're good for is target practice."

"Amen to that," Jax added.

"Your personal opinions mean nothing to me," Fujin intoned. "They are being kept separate for their sake as much as yours," he addressed Sonya. "But they will not be harmed. Is that clear?"

Sonya cocked an eyebrow at him. "Of course. But for the safety of these fine warriors," she gestured to the group, "in the event of an escape and resisted arrest, they will be shot on sight. Is that clear?" she mocked.

"Sonya," Rayden warned.

Fujin glared at her and she stood firm. After a moment of tense silence, she spoke again. "So what now?"

Fujin took a breath, choosing to lay to rest the previous topic. "Last night had a turn of events we weren't expecting. When we learned you and Tsung would be named overseers of Earth, we planned to ambush after Kahn had departed. We hoped to kill Tsung and retrieve you, then regroup and attack Kahn in Outworld."

"That sounds like suicide," Sonya commented.

"So unbelievably daring Kahn wouldn't consider for a moment it would happen?" Jade remarked. "That's what we were going for. The arrogant bastard wouldn't know what hit him."

"But he didn't give us Earth."

"Right, and we don't know why," Rayden said. "Do you?"

Sonya shook her head. "No, I was just as surprised as everyone else. So was Shang Tsung."

Fujin frowned. "The emperor betrayed him." He looked at Rayden. "He never does anything without a reason."

"I know." Rayden looked back at the ex-lieutenant. "Sonya, did you see or hear anything that seemed wrong?"

"You mean aside from being in another realm with sorcerers and a psychotic immortal?"

"You know what I mean."

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "No, I can't… wait." She focused on the night before, the introduction of Sindel, the conversation before she was placed in battle. "Shang Tsung said something last night. He mentioned the plan for another realm… OrderRealm." She looked back up at Rayden. "And something about Talismans."

Rayden turned sharply to Fujin. Neither spoke but a conversation still seemed to occur between them.

"What is it?" Jax asked.

"You don't think…" Fujin started.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Rayden answered.

"Um, silent dialogue doesn't work for me," Stryker spoke up. "The rest of us would like to know what's going on."

"The kamidogu," Rayden said.

"And the One Being," Fujin finished. Taking a deep breath, he explained the creation of the realms by the Elder Gods who defeated the One Being. Separating his consciousness into six separate talismans, the kamidogu, the Elder Gods attempted to ensure the One Being could not combine again and extract revenge. For centuries, rumors had abounded of the One Being taken possession of creatures in the attempt to merge the realms and return the One Being to unity. The individual that could accomplish such a feat would be granted unimaginable power.

"So the legend goes," Fujin finished.

"Kahn already possesses Edenia, Outworld, and OrderRealm, and now he has Earthrealm," Jade interjected. "He only needs two more."

"One more," Li Mei interrupted. She looked up as the others turned to her. "Quan Chi is in league with Shao Kahn."

"So he has access to Netherrealm as well," Fujin said.

Kabal spoke up for the first time. "One thing confuses me."

"One thing?" Stryker muttered.

"If Kahn has OrderRealm… then what plan was Tsung talking about last night?"

Rayden sighed. "Of course." He leaned against the table. "By the gods, he's cleverer than I expected." His gaze lifted to meet Fujin's. "ChaosRealm."

The wind god nodded in understanding. Jax threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Jesus, how the hell are you all following this?"

"I'm not," Smoke admitted.

"ChaosRealm and OrderRealm are opposites and rivals," Rayden stated. "OrderRealm is aligned with Kahn while ChaosRealm is still under its own reign. But if its merged into Outworld, war would break out between the two realms, likely eradicating each other."

"Why would Kahn care?" Smoke asked.

"He wouldn't, but his representative and the governing ruler of OrderRealm would."

"Still not getting it," Jax piped in.

"Kahn is still held back from complete tyranny by the rules set by the Elder Gods," Rayden explained. "He is restricted by the rule of 1st through 7th, positions that are filled to represent a Realm, with one overseer."

"Kahn and his Dark Lords," Sonya clarified.

"Yes. As the 1st, he has incredible power regarding association with the realms, but he cannot simply invade them."

"You said he has to win the Mortal Kombat tournaments," Sonya said.

"Or receive a unanimous vote from his council to invade… if the grounds are justified."

Everyone looked at him in confusion. "If?" Li Mei asked.

"Like you said, Sonya, politics. There's always a loop hole, if you look hard enough. But OrderRealm would never agree to an invasion of ChaosRealm, knowing its own survival would be threatened."

"So what does any of this have to do with Tsung?" Jade asked.

"If he was made ruler of Earth, as a Lord over a realm, he could challenge another Lord for the right to rule his realm."

Sonya's eyes lit up. "He was going to challenge OrderRealm's ruler, kill him, and take over the realm, leaving me in charge of EarthRealm under his spell-"

"-to ensure a unanimous vote would be found in favor of invading ChaosRealm-" Rayden continued.

"-and the immediate acquisition of the kamidogu once ChaosRealm fell, rather than waiting for 10 Mortal Kombat victories," Fujin finished.

Kabal shook his head. "If that was the plan, then why did he try to kill Sonya? Who was the other woman that showed up?"

"Sindel, his wife," Jade spat. "She was Kitana's mother and was forced to marry Kahn when he took over Edenia. She came to Earth to protect it… but he must have found a way to bring her back, and now he's controlling her."

Sonya nodded. "Tsung can still challenge for OrderRealm but he no longer needed me for EarthRealm's vote." She looked at Fujin. "This just got a lot more complicated."

"Yes. There is much more at stake than just saving EarthRealm," Fujin mused. "Now we must save everything else."

Sonya turned to Rayden and shrugged. "Ok, business as usual. Once again, I ask. What now?"

"Kahn's soldiers already know that powerful magic protects this place," the wind god replied. "It's only a matter of time before he puts two and two together, and comes here to crush the resistance."

"So let him come," Sonya answered. "We'll stop him right here."

"Sounds great, Lieutenant," Jax quipped. "We just need to kill an immortal, no problem."

"Yeah," Stryker added. "You know, that's not something I got trained on in SWAT. What do we use? Garlic, silver bullets, salt?"

The room went quiet. Sonya looked back and forth between the ex-god and his successor. "Well? What's the plan?"

"The plan was to banish him to the Netherrealm," Fujin answered. "But with Quan Chi on his side, that won't work now."

"What about the others?" Rayden asked.

"I will speak with them, but you know how the other gods feel about involvement. If the Elder Gods won't stop him, they see no reason to interfere." He looked around the table. "I will be back soon. In the meantime, I recommend everyone get some rest, and be ready for an attack on the grounds." With a flash and a gust of wind, he was gone.

The others began mingling among themselves. Sonya turned to Rayden before he moved away. "I want to see them."

"This way."

/

Liu met them in the hallway. Sonya was relieved to see that aside from looking pale and thinner than before, he was okay. He asked after her well being, swearing that Shang Tsung and the rest would pay for everything. She became nervous, stumbling over her words as she tried to apologize for the Final Kombat.

Liu never gave her the chance. He pulled her into a brief hug and then moved off down the hall with Rayden, leaving Sonya by herself. She turned to the room Liu had occupied, its door slightly ajar, and took a breath.

Just what the hell was she nervous for?

With a shake of her head, she knocked and pushed on the door.


	10. The Fall is Coming

Chapter 10: The Fall is Coming

"Yeah, Liu, I'm coming."

Her eyes trekked to the only occupied bed in the room where Johnny Cage was pulling on a short sleeved gray shirt. He ran a hand through his hair and stood, picking up a small object off the bed as he spoke. "Think Nightwolf has a Starbucks in here…"

When he looked up, he stumbled to a halt and his voice died away.

The retort failed her when she got a good look at his face. Like Liu, he had lost some weight and the slight bruising under his eyes left him looking more than a little exhausted. If not for his smartass attitude, Sonya would say he had aged more than a few years in a few weeks.

When she realized they were both staring, she broke the silence with the first thing that came to mind. "You look like shit."

Something passed over his face before he smiled, though it was only a shadow of what it used to be. "Well, a good actor knows how to look the part. You know, beaten warrior, starved prisoner, no sun for days on end..."

Though he tried to make light of a bad situation, Sonya felt a wave of guilt for what they had suffered while she was pampered and well treated under Tsung's possessive care. She couldn't meet his eyes knowing she'd deserved the worse treatment, not them. The thought that she didn't really try to help them, even if she had been controlled by Tsung, made her want to duck out of the room. The shame of such a cowardly response sparked her anger.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

The softness in his voice lit the match. The genuine concern on his face threw fuel on the fire. She reacted before she could stop herself. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped, "I'm fine, and if I wasn't I wouldn't come to you." She winced mentally when she saw his smile change from friendly to frosty.

"Right," he said, his voice flat. "Of course, you are. You always are. My mistake." He continued moving toward the door.

_Damn it._ "Johnny-"

"No, it's good," he said, pausing to face her. "I'm so glad that with the world shot to hell, some things don't change." He turned.

She grabbed his wrist. He looked at her when she dug her fingers into his skin. She stared at him, and he stared back.

There was a tension in the room that had never been present between them before, not with the undertones of real anger… and hurt. It bothered her that a man she had known in such a short amount of time was under her skin so quickly. Yet, when she struggled, she had found comfort in the hope he and Liu were alive somewhere in Outworld. More than once she had even pictured what she would do when she saw them again… saw him again, and now she couldn't be anything but the only Sonya he knew, the soldier.

That bothered her. Despite their brief time together, they had been through so much that she considered him a friend. No, she _knew_ he was a friend, and like Jax, he would be there for her. So why was it so difficult to be open to him and his companionship?

Because he wasn't Jax. He was Johnny. And while she viewed Jax as an equal to her as a soldier… Johnny was her equal as a man.

She would always be a solider; she would always put the mission first. But here, in the last place on Earth that wasn't a wasteland, away from the judging eyes of enemies, superiors, colleagues, friends or family, she could let herself be human, even if just for a moment, because nothing was ever going to be back to how it was.

Sonya said nothing as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as she could. For a moment he didn't move, apparently too shocked to even take a breath. The thought of him being speechless made her smile.

"I'm okay, Johnny, and I'm glad you're okay, too." When he finally returned the embrace, Sonya closed her eyes, allowing herself the guilty pleasure of enjoying the presence of another who wasn't out to see her enslaved, corrupted, or dead.

"See?"

Sonya pulled away. Johnny's face was lit up with that cocky self-assured smile she once despised.

"I knew you liked me."

She narrowed her eyes at him, confused. Then she remembered their conversation on the beach, so long ago and yet not long at all, and the infuriation she felt at his words that, once again, rang true with their uncanny perceptiveness…

"_So you're going to stop Goro, all by yourself? You're going to protect us from the big bad monster, is that it? Just like in your movies?"_

"_I'm going to challenge Goro, Shang Tsung won't be expecting that. I figure he-"_

"_You can't do that! It's not how the tournament works!"_

"_How would you know how the tournament works? Yesterday you knew even less about it than I did! Do you want to die? Do you want everyone to die? Take the whole world with you? I can beat him!"_

"_You can beat him! _You_ can beat him! You are the most egotistical, the most self-deluded, the _stupidest_ person I've ever met!"_

"_What? Because I don't want to see anyone else bludgeoned to death for Shang Tsung's entertainment?"_

"_Don't you dare do this to protect me, Johnny Cage!"_

"_You! You think I'm talking about you! And you call me egotistical? Wait a minute. Are you worried about me?"_

"_Oh! Listen to him! You're being absurd."_

"_You are worried."_

"_I am not!"_

"_You are. You like me."_

"_You wish!"_

Sonya had the sudden urge to wipe that smug smile off his face. Then, another impulse came over her. Unconsciously, her eyes dropped to his lips. She blinked and looked up once again.

Without hesitation his head dipped, his lips pressing softly against hers. The touch was gentle, unobtrusive then gone. Through wide eyes she watched him hover, his gaze questioning. She moved to bridge the distance between them. Their lips met, parted, and the kiss deepened.

The world faded around her save for the feel of him under her hands, the taste of him under her lips, the weight of his body as he supported them both. His arms tightened around her waist, one hand trailing up her back to support her neck. She snaked her arm between them, curling her fist into his shirt, her body tilting back slightly to press more fully against his.

Johnny's mouth left hers as he gasped at the new contact between them, his lips quick to reclaim the sweet territory she granted him. Sonya's blood heated when his kisses became more urgent, the stroke of his tongue making her dizzy with desire. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this alive…

She began pressing against him, slowly pushing him back, until his legs bumped up against the bed. She broke the kiss, much to his chagrin, and pushed him down, settling herself across his hips and grabbing his head to possess his mouth once more. Her hands moved to his shirt, quickly lifting the fabric to bear his heated flesh to her touch.

Sonya gasped when her wrists were seized, the passionate kiss abruptly interrupted. "Johnny?"

He stared at her, his face carefully blank but for the tint of red under his skin. "Sonya," he spoke softly, "what are you doing?"

The innocent question left her feeling chastised. Her face flushed, a surge of embarrassment racing through her. He was right. What was she doing? This wasn't like her… and Johnny knew it.

But she wanted it; she wanted this closeness with someone, this companionship and trust to just let go. She realized he was wrong. They were both wrong. "Growing up," she answered.

"Isn't that what you're always telling me to do?"

Sonya shook her head. "I mean I'm accepting responsibility for being human. Humans have weaknesses." She stroked his face. "And needs."

The actor's face was drawn. His eyes told her he didn't quite believe her. He tried to speak and was stopped by her kiss. A moment later he responded, his body losing its tension under her hands. Whatever argument he had was lost between them.

Never breaking contact, he leaned back, pulling her with him as he slowly fell onto the mattress…

/

The compound slept fitfully; some meditated in preparation of Kahn's imminent retaliation, others remembered loved ones lost long ago. Some stared long into the night, wondering what the future would hold, and some dreamed of a future free of a tyrant ruler.

For the first time in weeks, Sonya Blade slept without any dreams. Her body satiated and wrapped protectively in the arms of her friend and lover, Johnny Cage, she finally found sanctuary from the nightmares of Shang Tsung, of the emperor, of the fate that had befallen her world. Briefly, she found peace.

In the darkness of their room, a dark green light burned. Among the sounds of the couple's even breathing, a soft sizzle hissed from the sheets. Unbeknownst to the two Chosen Warriors, Sonya's hand glowed and pulsed with energy. It burst and flared, dying away just as quickly into the scar of her hand.

And the room returned to stillness.

/

He jerked awake, his heart pounding loud in his ears. The rush was familiar to him, an instinct born of survival in a world of crime lords. He was not alone.

Jarek's eyes scanned the small cell. Enough light filtered in through the door for him to make out the four corners of the room. No one was around.

A chill ran down his spine as he heard a noise. The latch came undone and the door opened. Another blast of cold through his body-

-his mind went black as the word '**Come'** blazed itself behind his eyes-

-and Jarek was drawn toward the door, and freedom. The hallway was empty at first glance.

**Corner.**

His head snapped to a bend in the hall and he spotted feet. There, the body already beginning to cool, was the sentry.

**Cell.**

Jarek placed the body on his bunk, turning the face away from the light. He left, locked it, and walked to Kano's cell. A soft snore echoed from inside. He reached for the latch-

**Leave.**

-and turned away. He walked down the hall, no stealth in his movements or uncertainty in his step. There was no need for concern. Jarek just knew where to go, where no one would see him. He had to meet with Shang Tsung, the man Kano told him about back when the red eyed Australian's employment was sought.

Kano had messed up, though. Jarek would not. He was sure of that.

When he slipped out into the night, he walked straight for the dark swirling portal, not questioning how he knew where to find it or where it would take him.

He just needed to go.

/

"You have a visitor," Motaro's deep voice interrupted.

Tsung's dark eyes glanced up from the scroll to the doorway, where the Black Dragon member stood looking around, his eyes glittering at the gold and jewels adorned in the furniture and accessories of the room. The sorcerer sat back in his chair and pursed his lips. A fire burned through him and he smiled.

The dark spirits had brought him a gift.

"That will be all," he dismissed Motaro, and the centurian walked out of the room. Tsung did a once over of the rugged looking crime lord. He gestured to a chair when their eyes met. "Please."

Jarek sauntered over and threw himself down into the over sized seat, leaning back on the hind legs and making himself comfortable. "Mr. Shang Tsung. You look a lot less intimidating than Kano said."

"Kano double crossed me. He has a reason to be intimidated."

Jarek nodded, tapping his fingers on the chair arms. "Yes, I find his choices as of late… not promising. Not a good quality in a leader, if you ask me."

"And you can do better?"

"Why do you think I'm here?"

Tsung reached over for a goblet. "What are you asking for?"

"I want to work for you, on the winning side. Earth is pretty much done for, its time to set my sights on new property elsewhere."

"And," Tsung asked after a sip, "what are you offering?"

"Your enemies. All of them. And your woman," he grinned, "all in one little location." He leaned forward, the chair settling back on the floor. "And I know how to get inside."

Tsung regarded him carefully. "Sonya Blade is there?"

Jarek nodded. "Heard it from her partner himself, boasting to Kano that 'the war was on now' or some crap." He rocked back again. "Anyway, heard whisperings of some kind of revolt. But they won't need to worry about that now, not when I can get your men in through the backdoor."

Shang Tsung stood, putting his cup down as he walked around his chair, placing his back to his guest.

"You were a prisoner," he stated. "How did you escape?"

"You should know. You sent for me."

_Ah._ Tsung smiled as the pieces were starting to come together. The burst of power Sonya exhibited during the fight. The stirring of the spirits when Jarek entered the room. And now the confirmation that Sonya had been in the same place from where he'd escaped.

He smiled darkly. She was more receptive than he imagined. How had he missed it? The emperor would have second thoughts about killing her now. He just needed her back.

"Very well." He turned back to Jarek. "You have your deal. You answer to me, and I will keep you safe. Now, take me to this location."

/

Liu Kang was whispering, loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to be indistinct. Her brow furrowed as she tried to focus on the words. Her brain was not functioning yet. She felt like she was being dragged to the surface of her consciousness when she longed to dive back into the depths of sleep. Instead, she groaned in protest as something against her back vibrated, sending small quakes through her chest and bringing her to full alertness. The words "we'll be right there" made it through the fog in her brain.

Sonya's eyes parted and she observed the pillow under her head, her left hand lax near the edge of the bed, and the retreating back of Liu Kang as he left the room. She lifted herself up on one elbow, pushing her long blonde hair back across her head. On the floor beside the bed, her clothes were crumbled in a pile.

"Morning, beautiful."

Sonya's eyes widened as her body felt the small tremors of his voice, deep and soft next to her. It was then she felt his body, long and lean, lying next to her, his chest pressed firmly against her back. She turned and found her face inches from his, blue eyes peering up at her with the last traces of sleep fading from their depths.

She gasped and recoiled, her hand quickly pulling the sheet tighter around her.

"What? What is it?" Johnny asked, instantly alert and body tense.

Images of the previous night came back to her, and Sonya sighed as she lay back down on the bed. "Oh, God," she whispered. "Sorry… I'm not used to…" she waved her hand across their bodies, "this."

The American actor relaxed with a half-smile on his lips as he cradled his head in his hand. "I can fix that."

Sonya gave a mock glare. "You wish."

"Don't lie," he teased. "Admit it. You were impressed."

"Oh, get over yourself," Sonya huffed with a signature eye roll. She moved to sit up, but Johnny's arm across her waist stopped her. His head leaned up and his lips brushed her ear.

"I was impressed, too," he whispered, his gentle breath making her skin shiver. Sonya's head moved enough for her eyes to meet his and his hand touched her cheek. He smiled at her with that world renowned cocky, confident grin.

Taking a lesson from his book, Sonya smirked at him. "Most men are." She laughed when his face turned to shock.

"I don't know who _they_ are, but I hate them." Johnny's frown was quickly wiped away by her chaste kiss. She turned and reached down to her clothes.

"What did Liu want?"

"He said Rayden is getting everyone together for a me-what, what's wrong now?"

Sonya stared at Johnny, her hand hovering in midair as she gripped her shirt. "Liu was in here." She sat up on the bed and put her head in her hands groaning. "Oh no."

"Sonya, he's a big boy," he explained patiently, smiling. "I'm sure he already knows about these things, but if you want, I'll go explain the birds and the bees to him."

"Shut up, Cage," Sonya scowled at him. "You won't be laughing when Jax finds out."

Johnny paused. "Jax?"

"Yeah," she said as she stood and resumed getting dressed. "He is my friend and partner, and he looks after me like a father."

"Aw, hell." Johnny rolled out of the bed, grabbing his own clothes and making quick work of dressing. "As if I don't have enough to deal with, now I'm going to be hounded by a seven foot tall crazy black man with overprotective tendencies and a punch that can bring down a building." He huffed in annoyance. "I haven't even had my coffee yet." He donned his last shoe and set out the door after the Shaolin Monk.

Sonya rolled her eyes and reached for her shoes. She looked at the bed and her movements slowed. She couldn't believe she had practically thrown herself at him last night. What the hell came over her? She shook her head, trying to wipe clean the doubts… but her heart told her something was wrong.

Her chest tightened as a terrible thought ran through her mind. Was it a mistake, a desperate act in a moment of extreme vulnerability?

She turned at the sound of fast footfalls to see Johnny had returned. Without warning, she was caught up in an embrace, his arms pulling her tightly to him and his lips stealing hers He pulled away, smiling.

Sonya, slightly dazed, asked, "What was that for?"

"Forgot to say goodbye."

Sonya scoffed. "That's not sappy at all."

Johnny just grinned. "You coming?"

"Yeah, be there in a minute. Liu?"

He shrugged. "I've still got time to catch him. He's got little legs, you know?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead and strutted out the door.

Sonya smiled. Definitely not a mistake.

/

The portal opened about 50 feet from the shield. Jarek, Shang Tsung, and five Tarkatan warriors stepped out into the decayed wasteland. Tsung was immediately tuned to the magic at work before him. It was strong and ancient, and would take time for him to break through. The area that was protected was large. There could be thousands of souls inside, ripe for the taking. Of course, at the moment, there was only one soul that mattered.

He turned to Jarek, expectant.

"The only way to get in is to be invited by someone on the inside," the mortal explained. "So I'll get recaptured, and when your soldiers, demons, whatever are ready, I will let them in, and then it's party time."

Tsung made a sound of disapproval. "That was your plan?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It will take too long."

Jarek scoffed and looked at the ground, kicking away a strange rodent that had settled by his foot. "Well, you're the boss. What would you like me to do?"

Tsung closed his eyes and reached out to feel the souls around him. Deeper inside the sacred grounds, it was unclear how many souls were present. Closer to the edge, however, he could detect the presence of at least one person, a man by the feel of it. "Just bleed," he answered.

Jarek looked up. "What-?" He gasped. "What the hell!" His reflection grinned back at him. There was a sharp glint and he gasped again, the sharp intake of breath soon overcome by the gurgling of his blood as it spilled from his slashed throat, courtesy of his own blade. Blood splattering his own face was the last thing he saw before a red light engulfed his body and he felt like his soul was being ripped away.

/

"Help! Help me! Please!"

Jax turned around at the panicked cries, looking out through the transparent force field to see someone running towards it, bloody and terrified. When he hit the shield, he pounded desperately, frantically trying to get in.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." How the hell did he escape? If he was out, Kano must be, too. Sonya was going to _love_ that. Jax was tempted to leave him outside to the whims of whatever Outworld creature was lucky enough to find him when he spotted the five bladed warriors running across the desert.

"Please, someone, help!" Jarek screamed. "They're gonna kill me!"

Jax reached through the shield, grabbing Jarek's collar and yanking him through with a gruff, "Come on!" He pushed the panicked criminal against a wall. "Now you better start talking or _I'm_ gonna kill you," Jax hissed. "How the hell did you get out of here?"

The creatures ran into the shield, their cries of fury muffled through the barrier but loud enough to distract Jax. It almost masked the sound of the blade as it was unsheathed and plunged deep into his stomach.

A guttural cry left him as Jarek twisted the knife and sliced outward, the blade coming free of his internal organs out the left side of his body. His grip slacked around Jarek's vest, his hand feebly attempting to block the blade as it entered his throat, lodging back between the vertebrae of his spine.

He fell, lifeless, into the sand. Jarek grinned down at the corpse. "Two Chosen Ones down," Tsung remarked in his normal voice. He stepped over to the shield and pressed his face through. "Enter," he commanded, and the warriors crossed the sacred barrier. "Clean this up and wait until I return."

With a simmer of fire and a wisp of smoke, the seven foot tall army major stepped off smartly into the reservation's buildings with a soft chuckle of anticipation.

_*Scene on the beach is from the novelization by Martin Delrio._


	11. It Begins

Chapter 11: It Begins…

The Chosen warriors and their allies were gathered in the large hall that served as the meeting room. All were dressed ready for battle. Johnny spotted Liu speaking with Bo'Rai Cho and Smoke. "Hey," he cut in, "have you seen Jax yet this morning?"

"Jax was walking outside, checking the barrier for attacks by the Outworlder's," Smoke answered.

"Why?" Liu asked.

Johnny caught the grin on the young man's face. "No reason, just curious. Gotta look out for our own, right?"

"You mean 'gotta make friends with Sonya's team mate before he puts me through a wall,' right?" Liu quipped.

"I have no idea what you're implying."

"Uh huh."

Johnny's retort was silenced by Rayden. Like the others, he had donned a simple white outfit with a thin blue sash for a belt and a small ornament on the lapel of his tunic. Fujin stood next to him, dressed similarly in green and accentuated by two crisscrossing strips of purple material over his chest.

Rayden looked at his fellow fighters. "Where are Sonya, Jax, and Kabal?"

"Jax is checking the perimeter," Smoke answered.

"Sonya's down in the armory," Kabal spoke up from the hall as he entered and joined them. "She said she'll be up in a minute."

"Very well. Brother?" Rayden turned to the Wind God.

"I spoke with the others about defeating Shao Kahn." He sighed. "The answer is not good. There are two ways to end an immortal: he must become a mortal first, or the soul must be destroyed for the body to die. The Elder Gods would have the power to make Kahn mortal, but he has committed no violation to warrant such action. That leaves his soul."

"Um," Stryker said. "I know I'm new to all of this, but… how can you kill a soul if the body is still alive?" He looked at the others. "I mean, is this something common in the mystical battle between Earth and… everything else?"

"Shang Tsung," Liu spoke up. "During the tournament, he could pull a soul from a body who was still alive."

"Oh, sure, that'll work," Johnny remarked. "We'll just drop by for dinner and ask him a little favor, I'm sure he'd be happy to help us out."

Rayden spoke. "Liu Kang is right. Without the help of the gods, sorcery would be the only way to stop Kahn."

"And where would we get a sorcerer?" Kabal asked. "The local drug store?"

Fujin and Rayden looked as one to Nightwolf. He was staring at the table, lost in thought.

"Nightwolf is closely linked to the spirits of Earth and has abilities that will make him a worthy opponent."

"But can he do that whole," Johnny struggled for words, "soul ripper-outer thing?"

"I've never tried," the Native American answered quietly. "But I've never had a reason to." His eyes rose. "I will need some time for direction. This will not be an easy quest."

"It never is," Rayden said, his voice grave. "But right now, you're all we've got."

Nightwolf nodded. He bowed his head as if in prayer.

"And what about the rest of us?" Liu asked. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Wait, meditate, prepare," Fujin answered. "It's unlikely they will make it to us under the protection of the spirits. We have an advantage there, to attack only when we're ready."

"And when will that be?" Li Mei asked. "All of this waiting…" Her hands twitched at her side in agitation.

"I know. But for now, we can do little else."

Nightwolf jerked, his head snapping up with a far off look. He looked behind him, spinning as if someone was there that shouldn't have been. While searching around the room he continued moving in a slow circle, not speaking, only staring.

"What's wrong with him?" Johnny whispered to Liu. Johnny's eyes followed his, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary among the stores of food and supplies mixed with various nameless faces of mortal soldiers and survivors milling around the sacred grounds. "What's going on?" he said louder when no one else spoke. "Sense a disturbance in the Force, or something?"

"Someone's here."

"There are a lot of people here," Stryker said.

"No, someone who shouldn't be. But I can't… the spirits are confused. It's like a shadow…." He looked back at Rayden and Fujin. "It's dark, and it's strong."

"It can't be Kahn," Fujin said, "I'd know he was here."

"Shang Tsung," Rayden finished for him. "He got inside."

"Are you sure?" Li Mei asked.

"How?" Jade looked at Nightwolf. "You said only those invited could enter!"

Bo Rai countered, "I'd be more concerned about where he is now."

"Shit!" Johnny turned and sprinted down the hall.

/

Sonya was holstering a .45 semi-automatic hand gun when Johnny ran into the makeshift armory. "What is it?"

He ran up to her, his eyes scanning around the room. "Are you in here alone?"

"Yes, why?"

"Sonya, he's here."

Her back stiffened. "Who's here?"

"Shang Tsung." His hand reached out and grabbed hers. "Don't worry, I won't let him near you."

"He should be more worried about me getting near him," she growled. "We should head back to the others."

Johnny shook his head. "No, he's probably hiding as one of them right now. We need to catch him by surprise, and we can do that by staying away from the others." He started moving towards the back door of the room, his hand never leaving hers. "Come on, I have an idea."

Sonya was frowning as he pulled her. "What do you mean, hiding as one of them-."

"Sonya, we've got trouble-!"

The Army lieutenant looked up at the sound of heavy footfalls to see Nightwolf entering the armory with Johnny Cage right beside him. The actor's words were cut short as he came to a dead halt in the room.

Sonya's head snapped back to the Johnny who held her hand. He backhanded her and she slammed against the wall. Dimly, she watched Nightwolf pull a green glowing hatchet from his back and throw it towards the imposter. "Johnny" dodged and thrust his arm out, hurling a large fireball at the Native American warrior. Nightwolf was hit in the chest, the blow knocking him back into the wall and lighting his vest on fire. The wall cracked and split under the force of his landing, and Nightwolf slid to the floor in a crumbled heap.

Next to him, Johnny Cage sprinted the short distance to "Johnny" and leapt into the air with his right foot forward, his body elongating behind him. With a speed not of human origin, "Johnny" blocked the kick aside while reaching up and grabbing Cage's throat. His feet dangled as he struggled for air.

"Still foolish, Hero," Johnny/Tsung sneered before turning and throwing Cage across the room into a stand of metal shelves. The actor crashed and collapsed face down on the ground, the shelving structure shuddering from the impact before it toppled forward onto the prone warrior.

"No!" Sonya shouted. She turned her eyes on the imposter, her face twisted in anger. "Bastard!" She charged. Johnny/Tsung smirked and threw a punch at her, well aware of her moves, but only hit air as she maneuvered around him into a fast cartwheel that smashed his head down towards the floor. Using her forward momentum, she ran up the wall, back flipped, and threw her full weight down on to Johnny/Tsung's back, crashing him to the floor with a cry of pain.

"That was nice," Sonya drawled, kicking him onto his back and pulling her gun from her holster to point it between his eyes. "Flawless victory," she hissed as she pulled the trigger.

The bullet embedded itself into the floor.

"What?" Too late, a swift kick to the back of her legs sent her sprawling, her right arm caught and twisted painfully up and around until her hand could no longer hold the gun. It clattered to the floor between her and Tsung, still masquerading as Johnny Cage. Sonya gasped as she was lifted by her outstretched arm, the muscles screaming in protest from the awkward angle. A grunt of pain escaped her as she was body slammed against the wall. Through spotty vision, she stared at the face of Johnny, twisted into a sick smile of triumph.

"You still can't beat me Sonya," he whispered, pressing his lips close to her ear. "But I do love your spirit." His hand grabbed her face and roughly forced her lips to meet his in a painful, possessive kiss. Sonya ripped her head away, her disgusted cry filling the room. "And now you are finally ready to become all mine."

"You son of a bitch," she snarled. A shape moved behind him, pulling Sonya's eyes to Nightwolf's as he raised a hatchet over the sorcerer.

The hatchet came down through empty air, nearly slicing into Sonya's thigh. "Look out!" she shouted, already knowing where Tsung would be, but both were too slow to react. Before Nightwolf could turn, Johnny/Tsung was standing behind him, his hands already on the Native American's chin, and with a sharp snap, his neck was broken.

"No!"

He collapsed, his head looking at her from an unnatural angle. Green light absorbed his body before sizzling away. A shudder ran through her.

"Did you feel that?"

Sonya glared at Johnny/ Tsung, sickened by his cocky grin.

"The shield has collapsed. This resistance is over, and all thanks to you."

"Me?"

"You still don't know, do you? You will." He stroked her face. "And once we tell the Emperor, all will be forgiven."

She flinched from his hand, swinging around an elbow to his chin. He blocked and twisted her hand up behind her back.

"Oh, no, babe," Tsung mocked in Johnny's voice, "You've gone and hurt your head. Clumsy woman."

His hand tightened around the base of her skull, pulling her head back before slamming it against the rock wall. Everything slowed and darkened, the world tilting upside down on its axis. She was vaguely aware of being cradled in Johnny's arms - no,Tsung's arms - and then she aware of no more.

/

Tsung moved quickly through the passageways, none of the Earth members seeming to give a second thought to one Chosen Warrior helping another during the chaos. Several Outworld warriors had come onto the once sacred grounds when the barrier fell, and Tsung easily avoided the fighters as he conjured a portal back to Outworld.

Shedding his fake skin to return to his more comfortable form, Tsung entered Shao Kahn's throne room through the swirling door and approached. He ignored the stares of Quan Chi and a mostly healed Sindel as he interrupted the conversation. "The resistance is awaiting your destruction," Tsung gloated. "The hidden encampment is no longer protected by their weak magic. Already your loyal warriors are capturing those humans who have hidden from you."

Quan Chi's eyes narrowed. "That seemed rather simple. How ever did you manage such a feat so quickly?"

"Because I am better than you." Tsung smirked at Chi's glare. "And I had help from the inside." He looked back at the still present portal. "If you don't believe me, go look. Even you should be able to detect the presence of the Chosen Warriors with the barrier down."

A wave of the emperor's hand sent Quan Chi to investigate. Kahn's eyes drifted to the unconscious woman in Tsung's arms.

"My Lord," Tsung bowed, "the remaining Earth warriors are ripe for the slaughter, and all through the involvement of my wife. Give me some more time with her while the last of your enemies are crushed, and I promise I will give you a greater power than either of us predicted."

The emperor's large, calloused hand stroked at his chin as he considered. "She nearly killed my wife."

"Yes, our first glimpse of her untapped power. We have much to learn of this one. Give me time," he requested.

Quan Chi returned through the portal. "Shang Tsung speaks the truth. The Chosen warriors are trapped. They are fighting back but against impossible odds. We can easily finish them off right now."

Kahn stood. "If you wanted to redeem yourself," he addressed Tsung, "you have succeeded. Do what you wish. But," he paused in front of Tsung. "If you are wrong, she will be prepared as a gift to my wife. If you are right, we will have much to celebrate when I return."

"You will not be disappointed," Tsung said gratefully, bowing once more in respect.

Kahn turned to the portal. "Quan Chi, collect the others." He took Sindel's hand. "Let's go play in the sand."

/

The hall had turned into chaos. Following Johnny and Nightwolf's urgent departure, Stryker, Kabal, Li Mei, and Jade began gathering the Earth citizens and herding them out of the main buildings in search of shelter. Smoke and Bo'Rai Cho went outside to see of any incoming attacks by Outworld troops. Liu stayed with Rayden and Fujin as they tried to figure out how anyone could have snuck inside the reservation. The thought of a traitor on the inside left Liu fuming, knowing they would likely never find the culprit, or culprits, with the large number of souls they were protecting.

All of this became useless to Liu, however, when Fujin went stiff and his eyes stared off in shock. "The shield is down."

"What?" Rayden and Liu both looked at the Wind God in alarm.

"Nightwolf is dead. The barrier is gone."

"Then we can't stay here," Liu said. "We have to go, now!"

Rayden held his eyes. "Where?"

The Shaolin Monk opened his mouth but was cut off by Johnny as he sprinted across the room. "Liu! He took her and he killed Nightwolf, the bastard!" He rubbed at his forehead, smearing blood from a cut across his brow. "I don't know where they went, but we have to-."

"We have more pressing matters, Johnny Cage," Fujin silenced him. His eyes were closed, his shoulders slumped forward.

"More pressing?" Johnny snapped. "Her life is in danger!"

"We're all in danger, Johnny. The shield is gone."

Cage's eyes widened. "What?"

"And we need everyone back here now. Shao Kahn has just arrived on Earth." Fujin looked up at them, his face grave. "And he's not alone.

/

He laid the Earth woman on the bed. Around the room, candles flared to life. He laid the book on the table, opening to the ancient incantation. The knife glinted as he placed it beside the book and began reading. The dark spirits began filling the room with their powerful energy. On the bed, Sonya's right hand began to glow.

Tsung's eyes were drawn to her scar, to the start of everything. Now it would bring them full circle, and end with Sonya becoming just like him: a vessel of the dark forces. He retrieved the knife, the incantation now flowing from memory. The bed dipped with his weight and he grabbed her hand. He pressed the blade against her soft flesh.

"What are you doing?"

He paused his quiet chanting. Sonya was awake. She continued to lay still, her breathing even, her voice soft, and her eyes…

His throat went dry. "Making you mine," he answered roughly. "Just like I promised."

Her hand shifted, the palm flipping down to gently hold his. The movement was simple but it made his heart pound.

"Silly sorcerer," she whispered. A soft smile danced on her lips while her other hand curled around the lapel of his coat. With a sharp tug she pulled his head towards hers. Her eyes beckoned to him, drawing him close.

Tsung's blood thundered in his ears. Something was wrong.

"There are much more enjoyable ways to own someone." Her mouth seized his, a sudden surge of desire coursing through him as she seemed to pull the very air from his lungs.

The first wave hit him. He cried out against her mouth, recoiling into himself against the pain, but she held him firm. The second wave hit and he was fire. The third he was being ripped to shreds from the inside out.

_You still don't know, do you? You will..._

Something was wrong… and Shang Tsung was powerless to stop it. Sonya was destroying him, and he could nothing but scream.

_A/N: Hi all. I wanted to finish the story this week, but, like everyone else with bills, I am restrained by the confines of my job, which I'm starting a new position in a new location tomorrow. The remaining 2 chapters (3 if I get long winded) will be out in the next week or two. Thanks to everyone who has been following along! I'm pleased to see continued interest in the tale._


	12. Marionette

_A/N: Hello! Happy 4th! Wanted to take a moment and give thanks to DarkAssassin15, Robin, and the two guests who have been providing feedback on this story. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts! For everyone reading, I hope you find this chapter as enjoyable as the rest! _

Chapter 12: Marionette

_What happened?_

Everything was moving slowly, the sounds distorted around him. He tried to move but his body denied him.

_Where did it go wrong?_

To his left the world flashed in sharp glints of light reflecting from the fighting knives. One blade arced in a graceful curve, up and over, sliding smoothly across Jade's throat as the one called Mileena ended her life in a shower of blood.

To his right, a tiger stripped monstrosity towered over Stryker, the blows crushing down onto the wounded and rapidly losing SWAT member. His heart raced as he willed his body to help his partner.

He came to his knees, the unresponsive limbs dragged into awkward angles beneath him by his opponent. His head lolled, his eyes taking in the devastation of the Earth warriors slowly being beaten, and the arrogant smile of the leader; the emperor, the one known as Shao Kahn, standing in the center of the storm, drinking in his imminent victory.

All this he saw as his head fell back, his eyes looking up into the sneering face of the alien woman with long black and white hair and glowing eyes. The woman who had broken his spine and left him defenseless. Her fingers dug into the skin of his jaw.

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

Kabal's world went dark with a deafening crack.

/

_It was beautiful. _

_It was always beautiful, even when it stormed. The fields were lush and fruitful, the work hard but always worth the prize. Even those who complained only did so half-heartedly._

_There was always something to celebrate. A birth, a marriage, word of a new discovery in herbs or a new invention that could help the farmers. Even in death, when mourners would gather in hordes to share their respects, something was found to cherish, and the night would end in smiles if not in laughter._

_Few battles occurred in the village. When they did, he lead the defense. He won more battles than any other. He was the best fighter. He was the strongest. The bravest. The leader of them all. At times he feared dying, but to protect others, ah, it was a power he could thrive on forever._

_Then she came. Suddenly his power was lost to another… and he didn't care. He knew he would never care again._

_Oh, it took work. He did everything he could to get her attention, and he failed over and over again, despite being the one most sought by the village maidens. But the fields taught him about the gift of patience, the secret of trust that something would grow with work and attention, and the dedication to see it through._

_In a year they were married. _

_Soo Lin._

_His wife._

_He'd thought his home was beautiful before. It was breathtaking with her there. _

_He smiled every night he slept, having her by his side. He smiled every morning he woke, knowing he had another whole day to share with her. _

_She told him he would be a father._

_Could life be any better than this?_

_No._

_It could only be worse._

_The storm was terrible. It was frightening in its power. The villagers cowered in fear at the screaming winds, the air crackling with unholy fire arcing across the sky. _

_On the wind, a voice whispered. _

_It beckoned him, pleaded for help._

_One of his village men was in trouble. He ran out into the storm, the screams of Soo Lin drowning out quickly._

_He ran into the field, to the man standing there._

_He stumbled, his heart pounding in a cadence of panic._

_It was not a man. It was a shadow, wispy yet solid. _

_He tried to turn… but found he did not want to it. _

_Thunder crashed and the skies split. From the heavens ghastly creatures rained, scampering off into the homes of the frightened villagers. _

_Over the winds, over the thunder, over the pouring rain, he could hear the screams._

_Still, he did not move. His people were dying…_

Do not run.

_He never said he wanted to. He was drawn in, dazzled by the mystery and rolling waves of power that centered on this dark figure._

_He knew one thing. He was not afraid._

You'll never be afraid again.

_Soo Lin screamed._

_The spell was broken. He turned, his eyes immediately finding his wife running towards him, their baby still close. Behind her, three creatures brandished bloody weapons, their intent clear. _

_It was over before he could move. _

_The air was filled with her screams._

_And his._

_He collapsed, his arms reaching out for them, the storm broken by the unearthly howl that ripped from his throat. _

_The world went black, and with it, so did his heart. Anger welled in him, an emotion he had never felt so clearly before. _

I can give them to you.

_He turned to the shadow._

You can keep them with you. Always.

_He knew he must die._

No. You must live.

_The shadow glided, reached out a hand, and he felt it enter into him. For the first time, he saw eyes, black, bottomless eyes, and deep inside, a flame that threatened to burn him alive._

Do not resist me_. _

_He did not._

_The storm filled him. The creatures came at his call. And he commanded the spirits of Soo Lin and his child to be his. Forever. _

_Shang Tsung smiled at the power. _

_The demon smiled at the possession._

_A new life had begun. He walked, the village burning and lifeless, the memories fading as quickly as the smells of blood and charred flesh, never to bother him again… _

...His head whipped to the side, the force of the slap stinging all the way into his chest. The memory was replaced by the darkened room.

_What?_

The bed beneath him. The fire dying. The exhaustion settling deep inside of him, disorientating him.

The heavy body settled across his hips.

Shang Tsung focused on the woman straddling him, her arms crossed over his chest, her head resting in one open palm.

She smiled.

"Welcome back."

_What?_ He tried to speak, his jaw moving, yet nothing seemed to work right anymore.

Her finger pressed against his lips. "Relax. It won't be long now."

She moved, her body stretching out to lie fully across him, her head tucked up under his chin.

"You've taken such good care of me," she whispered, one hand wrapping tightly around his coat as she pressed herself against him with affection. "Now it's time for you to rest."

Her voice soothed him, and he felt the desire to drift, to detach, to sleep.

He fought it. "What have you done?" He winced at the slurred words, the action of speaking leaving him drawing breath as if he'd been sprinting.

"Haven't you figured it out?" Her voice was smooth and soft, tinted with tease. "Really. I thought it'd be obvious."

Her voice was becoming distant as he fell further into the prison of his body. Why couldn't he move? He felt so drained… so empty.

_Empty._ He froze.

Sonya chuckled. "Catching up now?"

_No. _

She lifted her head, gave him a lazy smile. She was so beautiful… then she stared at him.

He felt his body clench, a sudden urge to vomit overwhelming him as everything fell into place.

"It was time," she whispered. "You'd taken me as far as you could… and then she showed up."

He remembered. Never before had he felt such a pull towards another… _oh, gods, Soo Lin… _and he had to have her. He had to possess her.

_No. Never me._

Sonya slithered up his body, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, her lips soft and her breath warm against his skin as she spoke. "So strong, her soul ripe for the taking… ripe for the turning," she purred.

_Marry her, you must marry her,_ the spirits had whispered to him.

"And then she fell for him, and he for her, and, oh," she moaned in content, "_Ohh_, it couldn't have played out any better than if I'd planned it."

She drew back, her body arching up slowly, her hands raking down across his chest as she pinned him with her dark gaze. Her hands reached down to grasp his, pulling them up to rest against her stomach. "Do you see?"

He did.

Oh, gods, he did. "Power," he whispered. "Souls…"

"Not just any souls. Chosen warrior souls, the best of the best, hand picked by the gods."

"Innocence…" A soul untouched by human frailty, untarnished by evil and hatred.

Pure in the truest sense. Pure good, and pure power.

The soul of the unborn.

Her eyes lit up in pleasure. "You _do_ see." She leaned down, her face hovering inches from his. "Now you know why. You just weren't enough anymore." Her hand traced his face, his eyes catching the scar that had started everything. "With these two souls, completely under my control, I can rule everything."

_And I will die._

"But I will miss you," she whispered, rubbing her young soft cheek against his rough skin. Her lips brushed over his. "I wish I could keep you, but it is too hard to keep possession of two bodies at the same time." She pulled away, and her eyes burned black with _its_ fire. "Not that you noticed."

Sonya's powers. The spirits guiding him. Then the final possession. How had he missed the demon's plans?

He gasped as his body began to deteriorate. Without the demon's powers, without the wealth of souls, he was aging, his body finally giving into its human limits.

"Don't fight it," she whispered. "Sleep, Shang Tsung. Your road has ended."

He felt her pull away, the bed dipping with her weight as she climbed off of his dying form. "And mine is just beginning." Her hand caressed his face again. "But I will do one last thing for you, my dear." She leaned over and placed her lips against his ear.

"I will make Shao Kahn pay for all those times he tortured us. No one damages my things." Her lips pressed against his cheek, the kiss warm, dry, and possessive.

A swirl of blonde, a series of sharp steps, and the demon sorceress Sonya Blade left Shang Tsung to wither away into nothingness.


	13. Beyond Good and Evil

Chapter 13: Beyond Good and Evil

Li Mei smiled in grim satisfaction despite the pain lacing through her body. Mileena, the twisted creation of the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung, smiled back, her face frozen in a hideous posture of mocking laughter. Her mask had fallen away as Li Mei struck the fatal blow, several rapid and well placed punches that triggered all of the woman's pressure points at once. She barely screamed when her body pulsed with the rapidly bursting blood vessels before she collapsed in a heap of swollen flesh and pooling blood.

Li Mei had bested her enemy.

But not before being lanced through the stomach by the clone's deadly sais.

She leaned back against the wall, pressing her hand against the gaping wound, struggling to steady her breathing. She needed to stay on her feet, to fight back with her remaining strength… even if the cause was lost.

Only she, Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, and Rayden remained. Even Fujin lay broken and bleeding, not far from her own bloody spot, having been thoroughly done in by the Emperor himself. Now the seven foot immortal monster was turning his blazing eyes on the mortal Rayden.

_No!_ She pushed from the wall, ready to help the once powerful thunder god, when a portal swirled into existence. Oh, gods, what now? She grimaced, knowing their end was rapidly approaching.

The Earth warrior Sonya Blade stepped through.

Li Mei's heart leapt, seeing the woman unharmed and quickly taking in her surroundings, a battle ready look turning her beautiful features fierce as a strangled cry filled the air. Both women turned their gazes to the American actor who was thrown against the wall with bone breaking force.

Goro's successor, Kintaro, was taking great pleasure in pulverizing the one who defeated the Shokan Prince of Pain.

His enjoyment was short lived as he found himself engulfed in a ball of flame. The room went silent as his roar of pain reverberated off the crumbling walls. He turned, glowering at the woman whose eyes burned as brightly as the flickering fire in her hands.

"What?" Li Mei whispered in shock.

A quick glance to the others showed their mirrored surprise and confusion.

Kintaro roared again and charged.

Sonya smirked.

Fire exploded from her hands, one fireball after another in rapid succession, each striking the towering Shokan center mass. His roar shredded into a shriek of pain before he collapsed to his knees, his upper body blackened beyond recognition. The distinct thud of his 600 pound body crashing into the dirt was the only sound in the room.

The flames evaporated from Sonya's hands. Her eyes settled on Johnny Cage and she began walking towards him.

Li Mei followed, her heart racing at the display of power Sonya exhibited, so much like that fight with Sindel…

… _where did it come from…?_

… and frighteningly familiar to how Shang Tsung had fought his enemies in battle…

…_where was the sorcerer now…._

… but this couldn't be a bad thing; Sonya Blade was a Chosen warrior, fighting on Earth's behalf, destroying those who threatened the lives of the citizens she had sworn to protect….

Li Mei had nothing to fear; none of them did.

_Right?_

She smiled as she heard Johnny quip, "My hero," to the Army Lieutenant as she gazed over him, her sharp eyes taking in every cut and bruise. She said nothing, her face expressionless, until she turned and locked eyes with Shao Kahn.

Li Mei felt a shudder go through her at the coldness in her eyes. She looked up at the Emperor and her heart sped up as he stared back in fury… and with wariness uncommon to the overly confident immortal.

"Well, well," he commented, his voice low yet carrying with unmasked hatred. "My sorcerer's little experiment worked, did it? And yet, you are fighting on the wrong side."

"I don't like other people damaging my things," Sonya replied. She came to her feet, turning her back on her companions.

Liu and Rayden came over, worry etched into their faces. They helped Johnny to his feet as he said, "That's right-hey, what?"

"Oh, the little girl has a voice now," Kahn mocked. "Learn a little magic and you're ready to take on the world?"

"No, just you."

He began walking towards her, his war hammer swinging slightly at his side. "Really? You, challenging an immortal? Typical soldier, trying to save your world."

Sonya mirrored his movements, casually walking towards him, her body relaxed and her voice as smooth as silk. "_My_ world has nothing to do with this. You have something I need."

Li Mei frowned. She looked at Rayden, his face also pinched in concern. _What is she doing? _The fear in the once immortal's face set waves of panic to stir in her stomach. She had a bad feeling…

Shao Kahn paused, his brow furrowing slightly. Clearly, her answer was not one he expected. "Where is Shang Tsung?"

"Don't worry, my dear," Sonya purred, "You'll be joining him soon enough."

Kahn's eyes narrowed. His hand tightened around the heavy hammer, in preparation for the beating he was itching to administer. "Unlikely. You can't kill me."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Kahn sneered. "You want me so bad, little girl?" He lowered his head though his glowing red eyes never left hers. "So be it.

/

He had been lying in the field with her when she told him she was pregnant. He was going to be a father, and his son-oh, he did hope for a son-would be a good man. He would raise a good man. His son would be proud to carry the name of Tsung.

And then he fell to the darkness…

Shang Tsung fought the darkness that was trying to overtake him into eternity. Memories of a life he had long abandoned were trying to pull him towards his final sleep, but he battled them off, focusing on using the residual dark powers the demon had left in his body. He tried to pull from any lingering energy of the souls that had once fueled his life force.

The thousands of souls.

Shang Tsung gasped as memories flashed through him of all the people he had killed under the demon's possession. How could he let it happen for so long…?

_Soo Lin, help me. Help me make things right._

He watched her face appear and fade as his world started to blacken around him. Then a voice, a shout of surprise, and he felt hands by his side.

"…have you done?!"

Exhaustion began to ease away as coolness filled his body… a spell that was restoring him… his eyes opened to see Latrom by his side, the Dark Lord of Orderrealm, attempting to replenish his rapidly aging body. Shang Tsung knew it was a patch at best.

"… damn fool, focus before you die!"

Tsung focused, his vision clearing enough to make out the angry face of the man he was supposed to betray and kill, at the request of their Emperor. The older man looked furious as he continued to cast the spell that was giving Tsung life.

"What did you do?!" he hissed down at the dying man.

"I woke up," Tsung replied without thinking. "Gods, forgive me," he whispered.

"The gods are the least of your worries. Tell me how to fix this," Latrom demanded.

Tsung looked at him. His stomach twisted as he realized what he needed to do to survive long enough to stop the creature that now controlled Sonya…

With his newly supplied strength, he focused his thoughts on the spells used by the demon to wield the dark powers, and he reached out to Latrom. Quicker than he would have thought possible, Tsung seized the sorcerer's throat in his hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry," he whispered to the choking lord, "but I need your soul." He cast the spell out from memory and felt the energy begin to absorb the man's soul into his own body.

It was over in seconds. Latrom fell lifeless and Shang Tsung stood, spells frantically working in his head as he controlled the newly acquired power of the extra soul, drawing on its life-force to sustain him. It was only a matter of time before his human limits would be reached, and he would need another soul or collapse into dust.

He drew from Latrom's knowledge of magic to conjure the spell that would grant him access to Earth Realm. He had to work quickly. The demon possessing Sonya had to be stopped… before it claimed the wealth of souls that was Shao Kahn.

And the destruction of the universe began.

/

It was over before it seemed to have begun. Kahn swung his hammer. Sonya caught it. The tables turned that quickly. Kahn stared at her in shock, such a tiny creature so deftly stopping the powerful blow that could crumble buildings.

"You know," she said conversationally, "I thought about playing with you, like a little mouse caught in my claws, but I don't want to waste the time." With both their hands holding onto the hammer, she pulled him close to her with a sharp tug of her slender hands. "No, I've been waiting too long for this." She licked her lips. "Centuries… in fact."

She let go of the hammer and grabbed his thick face between her long fingers. Sonya stared deep into his burning eyes, letting the fire burn through her own gaze. "Shao Kahn, destroyer of worlds, I am no longer your slave," she hissed. "Now, you belong to me."

Kahn pulled from her, was resisted by a burn that coursed through his flesh as her fingers injected paralyzing pain through his body. "I belong to no one!"

"Wrong," she whispered, her lips ghosting against his. "You are mine. You," she looked up at him once more, a feral smile matching the sudden blackness in her eyes, "and your soul… are mine."

Her lips fell upon his and she stole his breath in a demanding kiss that sent waves of fire through him. From deep inside his chest, he felt something dig in, burrow deeper and deeper, and latch its claws into his soul.

It pulled, and Shao Kahn's world became nothing but pain. His eyes rolled back in his head, his scream trapped by the possessive lips of his enemy yet reverberating inside his skull which threatened to burst. From inside out his body decayed, each nerve falling away into dust as his power was torn from him, sucked into the maelstrom that was the Chosen warrior Sonya Blade.

_Father, help me! _

_No one can help you now, _the demon laughed inside his head before he fell back into oblivion…

Shao Kahn's body slammed down into the dirt, the meaty muscle quickly shriveling away into loose skin and blackened bones.

The Emperor was destroyed.

/

The room was silent. Even Johnny could find no words to make the moment seem anything but surreal. Li Mei looked away from the harmless corpse of Shao Kahn, her eyes snapping up to Sonya. The blonde warrior stood motionless, her eyes closed and face set in a mask of contentment. Around her, power could almost be seen encasing her lithe form.

Then her eyes opened and she stared at the young Chinese warrior. Sonya's face broke into a smile.

Li Mei cheered, and despite the coolness settling into her bones as her lifeblood drained from her, moved towards the Chosen women to embrace her in their victory.

"Li Mei, don't!"

She frowned at Rayden's sharp cry and stumbled. Her vision caught Sonya's warm smile as the blonde grasped Li Mei's arms.

"You're dying," she soothed. "Let me help."

A hand pressed into her wound. Li Mei hissed and felt her body become warm. From the wound, a white light was drawn out, and Li Mei felt herself go from hot to ice cold, her body freezing and becoming powerless to her commands to move away. Her throat closed on the scream that tried to release as she watched her soul be pulled away and absorbed into Sonya's hand.

Li Mei saw horror on Rayden's face. Saw Sonya's eyes burn with delight. Then she saw no more.

/

Latrom's soul was strong and powerful, but Tsung's hold on the demon's remaining power was quickly slipping. He managed to portal to the demon's location, the once hallowed grounds in Earthrealm, and collapsed through before the spell gave out. His breath heaved as the world spun. After a moment, he could steady himself enough to see the devastation around him. Bodies of Earth and Outworld warriors lay in bloody messes as far as he could see. Few remained standing, and all were drawn to the terrible force at the center.

Tsung watched as the one named Li Mei fell, her body gray and stiff, her soul sucked away into the demon's permanent embrace under the false guise of the Chosen warrior Sonya. Off to the right he spotted Ermac and Motaro, watching with wary eyes the unstable woman who had become so dangerously powerful. To the left, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and the Thunder god Rayden stood awestruck by the gruesome display from their friend.

Tsung's heart leapt in his throat knowing the Chinese god was still alive. He had to get to him…

/

"No!" The cry ripped from Johnny's throat, the first sound to follow Li Mei's collapse. Sonya looked at him and smiled.

"It's ok, Johnny. She's in a better place now," she mocked and tapped her chest. "She's safe with me, as will the rest of this realm be, and all of the others." Her eyes drifted to Shao Kahn's remains before she raked her fire filled eyes across the final Earth warriors. "Thanks to the Emperor's wealth of souls, and the knowledge from his own, I can unlock the One Being. Finally, I can rule."

"Sonya," Liu whispered, "what…"

"Your friend is not here anymore, Liu," Rayden replied, his body stepping back into a defensive stance. "Only our next opponent."

"Is that all I am to you, after everything we've been through? I'm hurt." Sonya brushed her hands and placed them on her hips. "You gods are always so ungrateful… and not worth my time."

She threw out her arm and sent Rayden and Liu flying across the room. A twist of her hand and a series of chains seized Johnny and pulled him against the opposite wall, restraining him in place.

"If you two want to live, fight for it," Sonya called over her shoulder to the Outworlders lurking in the darkness. "Destroy Liu Kang and Rayden. Now." She turned her eyes toward the actor, struggling against his bonds. "I'm busy."

Johnny watched as Ermac and Motaro charged his friends while Sonya stalked him like a tiger on wounded prey. Her body moved with an unnatural ease, her eyes glowing bright with unholy fire. The smile that once seemed so rare on her face was fixed with the similarity of a painted doll, unmoving and fake.

Placing one hand against the wall on either side of his face, she leaned close and whispered, "Hello, darling. Did you miss me?"

/

Rayden wheezed, black spots dotting his vision as pain raced through him. Cracked rib, possibly two, but now was no the time to worry about petty problems. Liu was already back on his feet, combating both the silent red ninja and the massive centaur. He rose to his knees, ready to come to his friend's aid, when hands pulled him back behind a pile of damaged supplies.

Shang Tsung's weathered face was the last thing he expected. Seizing the sorcerer's clothes in a choking grip, he spun him around and slammed him against the wall, pinning him a foot off the ground.

"You bastard! What the hell have you done?!"

"Rayden, wait, list-"

"I should kill you right now!"

"I'm already dying!"

Rayden paused and looked closely at the demon sorcerer. He stilled as he saw the man aging before his very eyes. And the dark orbs that once burned with hellfire were a soft brown… and human.

The question fell from his lips before he could stop it. "Who are you?"

"It is me, Rayden, but only Shang Tsung the mortal, not the sorcerer you knew. Sonya is possessed by that creature now."

Rayden let his grip loosen and the aging Chinese man leaned settled onto his knees. "What?" he asked in confusion.

A Shang Tsung that was anything but evil was a hard pill for him to swallow. His head snapped up when he heard Liu cry out in pain. "Liu!"

Tsung grabbed his wrist and pinned him in place. "Our time is running out, Rayden. If you want to help him, we must stop the demon before it becomes too powerful."

Rayden stared at him. "Demon?"

"Demonic possession, Thunder god. I was controlled by a demon; it taught me the power to take and use souls. But it has left me and taken Sonya instead, and we have to stop it, before it destroys everything."

Rayden rocked back on his heels. A demon… this whole time, the demon sorcerer was truly just that. He shook his head, words unable to form as he tried to comprehend what was happening. A scream filled the air, a crunch of bones, and Rayden flinched as Liu was beaten senseless.

Shang Tsung felt his body weakening and pressed forward, quickly trying to fill in the gaps. "It's trying to raise the One Being, but with me, it didn't have enough power to challenge the Emperor."

"But you had thousands of souls," Rayden countered, "how could Sonya carry more power than that?"

"It's not how many souls, Rayden, which creates power. It's their energy. Pure souls have the most energy."

"Sonya's soul is strong but not pure, not by a long shot," Rayden argued.

"Her soul isn't, but her child's is."

The Thunder God froze. He looked up over the shattered boxes of supplies, his eyes locking on Sonya and her predatory stance over the shackled Johnny Cage. "By the Gods."

"Two Chosen Warriors, their spirits bonded, and a child's soul formed, unaffected by the darkness of human nature. Pure energy, ripe for the taking. The demon is using the unborn child as a fountain of youth, of unlimited potential. And once it absorbs Kahn's soul, it will have all of the knowledge it needs to release the One Being, and become unstoppable.

"We must stop that from happening."

Rayden stared at him, his face aging as the reality set in. "Too late."

Tsung stared back, uncomprehending. Then, it hit him. The lack of the Emperor's presence, the taunting voice Sonya mocking the demon's words about the One Being… the remains at the center of the room, the destroyed bones… the only reminder of the once and power Shao Kahn.

It was too late. No force could be powerful enough to stop the demon now.

"We are lost." Tsung sat heavily on the ground, his decaying body quickly giving into his desire to give up. He looked at Rayden. "Not even the Elder Gods can save us now."

Rayden shook his head. "Without my powers, there is nothing more I can do…" His voice trailed off as he looked at Tsung. The dying sorcerer could see something working behind the human's eyes.

"But maybe _you_ can."

_AN: Sorry for the long wait, work's been hell. Soon to follow, the final chapter! Thanks for your support!_


	14. My Friends Will Come

Ch 14: My Friends Will Come

"God, what has he done to you?"

Sonya continued smiling, moving her body close up to his. The unnatural energy radiating from her body made Johnny flinch away. The binds resisted his attempt to crawl back into the wall behind him.

"Oh, believe me, God has nothing to do with this." Her hands rested on his shoulders and began to make their way down the front of his torn and dirty shirt. She pressed over a wound on his side, making him hiss. "Now this won't do."

Heat filled his side and suddenly the pain was gone. He looked down to find the long cut healed.

"Better?"

He lifted his eyes to hers once more. "No," he answered, his voice soft with disbelief. "No, it's not. This is wrong!"

"What is?" she asked, her face and voice the perfect representation of innocence.

Johnny's eyes swept around the room. "Everything! You've killed Li Mei! Liu is dying right now! Sonya, stop this, stop it now!"

"Why would I stop what I want?"

"Because it's not you, Sonya, it's Tsung. Fight him, fight back!"

Sonya's head fell back, a loud and melodious laugh leaving her lips. Her body pressed forward into his, using him for support as the laughter racked her body. She brought her head back to his, her lips inches from his own. "Oh, my handsome, powerful, stupid mortal. Tsung never had anything to do with this… except to act as a vessel. Now, I have a much nicer model." She gestured to herself, smiling broadly. "And I don't recall you having any complaints, either."

Johnny paled.

Sonya patted his cheeks, her eyes dancing. "Don't worry, she really did care about you." Her voice became a mockery of the lieutenant's normally serious tone. "It meant a lot to her, too. As for me, it served my purpose," she commented lightly, patting her lower stomach. "Such a powerful little soul. Wait until you feel him kick."

The actor said nothing, the confusion and anger in his face speaking volumes.

"Don't be like that, baby," she soothed. "You are chosen, you lucky thing, to be my permanent mate. Such a strong soul, and a handsome physique," she cooed as her fingers traced his muscular arms, "you will give me such a perfect little army of demon soldiers." She smiled up at him again. "Doesn't that sound nice?"

"You sick bastard."

"That's not nice to say to your lover."

Johnny's face twitched like he'd been slapped. "Never."

"Too late. How do you think I got here?" She pressed her lips against his cheek. "With your love, and Sonya's body ready and willing, why, we were a match made in hell." Her tongue snaked out, leaving a wet trail from his chin to his temple.

Johnny flinched away. "Damn you."

"Too late. But don't worry, you get to have this body whenever you want, because the more powerful innocent souls I devour, the stronger I will become, and the faster I can take over the universe to raise the One Being." She wrapped both hands around his face, pulling his gaze to hers. "You've changed the course of history. You're ego must be booming."

"I will kill myself before I help you."

Sonya's eyes hardened. "I wouldn't… if you care for her as much as you think." She tapped a manicured finger against her temple. "She's still in here, watching the show. I can bring her out, anytime. And anything I do to this body, she will feel."

Johnny became still as the possessed woman pressed closer.

"So think carefully before doing anything rash, you ignorant mortal. Because if you die, I will make her suffer. Endlessly."

Johnny knew the creature that spoke to him was not lying.

The sound of arguing tore Sonya's blazing eyes from his. Johnny looked over to see Rayden and an older Shang Tsung locked in battle, heated words filling the air.

"You have lost your place, sorcerer. There is nothing for you now but your own death,"  
Rayden rasped, dodging a blow to chin but failing to block the knee that caught him in the stomach.

"Not before I see your broken body at my feet!"

"Well, well, well," Sonya purred, pulling away from Johnny to turn fully to the fight before them. "Look who's still trying to be best in show."

Tsung swept Rayden off his feet, cracking his head into the rough ground. The aged sorcerer turned to Sonya, his body heaving with the exertion it was barely withstanding. "I can serve you better than he could," Tsung begged, his voice dripping with disgust as he gestured toward Johnny. "You know, I've served you faithfully for centuries. Give me life again, and I will not disappoint you."

"How I love when men fight over me." Sonya pressed herself into Johnny, tucking her head under his chin while staring back at Tsung. "Prove to me you're strong enough, Tsung, and maybe I'll be generous. Kill Rayden."

"No!" Johnny yelled, struggling against his bonds. His cries were ignored, and the dark clad sorcerer circled the white robed mortal in a battle almost fairly matched. Rayden was mortal, but Tsung was old and weak. But that didn't mean Tsung didn't still have a few tricks up his sleeve.

They attacked, dodged, attacked again. Thunder rolled from outside, flashes of lightning illuminating the cracks in the ceiling. One gained the upper hand before quickly falling to the power of the other, and back again. Johnny watched with his heart in his throat, too afraid to speak for fear that he already knew the outcome.

After all, Liu had seen it.

Too soon, the fight was over. The blows rained down, the robe went red with blood, and in a fit of inhuman strength, Tsung lifted the injured body of the once Chinese Thunder God over his head and slammed him into the dirt. Rayden cried out as bones broke with the force.

Johnny felt his heart race as Sonya shivered in delight, already dreading the words he knew she would speak. "Shang Tsung, my faithful pet, finish him."

"No!"

"With pleasure," Tsung growled. He reached out his trembling hand, his eyes fixed on the half-lidded gaze of his dazed opponent. "Your soul is mine."

White light filled the room and a screaming wind kicked up as the sorcerer used the last of his powers to rip the soul of Rayden from his broken body. The glow filled Tsung, turned his body firm and his skin supple, and suddenly the youthful Shang Tsung remained over the gray and stiff body of Rayden.

Sonya clapped her hands and laughed. "Oh, darling, you remembered what I taught you. You are stronger than I gave you credit for." She gave a sidelong glance to the actor, lewdness evident in her blue eyes. "While you won't replace _my_ Chosen One, you will serve a purpose… somewhere."

Tsung said nothing in reply. Instead, he was leaning over Rayden's body, his hand on his robe. He stood, and Johnny saw the glint of light on a metallic surface.

/

The demon was speaking to him but he tuned her out. His mind was rapidly searching through the thousands of years of Rayden's memories, looking for the key that would unlock the amulet.

'_Recite the words and pray your power will be strong enough to activate the spell,' _the mortal said before the battle.

Rayden's powerful soul hummed energy through his veins, but already it was diminishing. After all, it was not the soul of a god, not anymore. Then, it was there, bright in his mind, the receiving of the amulet from the Elder Gods, and the incantation with it.

He spoke the words as if he'd been speaking the dialect for years. At first, they were soft, almost whispers from his mouth, and then his chest began to reverberate with the power that built from them. Thunder echoed in his ears, matching the race of his heart as he felt a surge of electricity run through him. The spell finished and time seemed to inhale in on itself, a great constriction forming around his lungs and squeezing the life from him.

_Take me back to the moment when everything went wrong._

He looked up to see everything stopped. The flash of lightning, held still over head. The fall of sand from the unstable roof, hovering at eye level. The ripple of blood as it spilled from Rayden's dead body, halted in its current across the ground.

The look of confusion on Johnny Cage's face.

The rapidly blooming hatred on Sonya's face, as the demon came to understand… too little too late.

Then everything shattered, and the Shang Tsung of this time was no more.

/

…_Tsung's heart leapt in his throat knowing the Chinese god was still alive. He had to get to him…_

…"_You've taken such good care of me," she whispered, one hand wrapping tightly around his coat as she pressed herself against him with affection. "Now it's time for you to rest…"_

"…_Still foolish, Hero," Johnny/Tsung sneered before turning and throwing Cage across the room into a stand of metal shelves…_

…_deeper inside the sacred grounds, it was unclear how many souls were present. Closer to the edge, however, he could detect the presence of at least one person, a man by the feel of it. "Just bleed," he answered, and Jarek did…_

"…_Kahn already possesses Edenia, Outworld, and OrderRealm, and now he has Earthrealm," Jade interjected. "He only needs two more..."_

…_the spell was seizing his body and forcing it to contort in unnatural angles. He bit down on his tongue to hold back the sobs, to stop the begging that longed to burst from his drooling mouth…._

"…_behave yourself," he spoke softly. "You can't fight this. This is your destiny." "I never wanted this," she responded. "Learn to…" _

"…_and where are we supposed to be going, Mr…"Without turning, the mysterious fighter answered, "Smoke. And we're going to save your world..."_

"…_Mileena, regent of Edenia, I have your first task." As she stood, he handed her a small scroll from his throne. "Find this and bring it to me..."_

…_she watched the hay begin to glow, then crackle and set. It was slow moving; stretching on forever as the flames rose and engulfed the princess…_

…_desires raced through him that he once thought had died with his mortal self those thousands of years ago… A man who dwells in the past cannot proceed into the future..._

_"…a toast to us, my lady, and to the trust that will grow from our bond." He clinked his glass to hers and drank..._

…_Tsung turned to Sonya, lifted her chin, and pressed his lips to hers… and they were wed…_

/

He stumbled. A hand reached out to embrace the stone door frame while the other covered his eyes against the blinding flash in his skull. A moment later, he recovered, his composure back to the mask of victory, knowing EarthRealm was finally his for the taking.

Especially with the glimpse of the future the dark spirits had sent him.

He and Sonya, wed.

This night could end no other way.

Smiling, he proceeded down the passage towards his chambers as he waited for the final kombat, unaware that this time, Kitana slipped down the hall unnoticed to meet Liu Kang and Johnny Cage at the entrance to Outworld.

/

"My friends will come! My friends _will_ come!"

"They're already here."

Shang Tsung's face revealed nothing, though a knot formed in his stomach. Something didn't feel right. Regardless, he replied, "Right on cue, so much like an actor. Are you challenging me now?"

"No, demon," Liu Kang answered. "I challenge you."

Coldness filled him, a sudden dread that this was not supposed to happen. "Seize them!"

But Kitana stopped him, the royal bitch. And he was helpless to her threat. Then again, he had seen the future. He squared his shoulders.

"I accept."

/

It was an act of desperation, fueled by the need to win, and a deeper need to survive. He snapped a flying sidekick at Liu's head, but the monk duck and rolled, clearing a path for Tsung to land on the very edge of the arena.

He overbalanced, stepping his foot back to stop his fall… but nothing was there. Suddenly he was falling, and from deep inside a voice screamed in anger, words spilling from him for his shadow warriors to aid him. But they were not there… only the spikes that pierced his body with burning fury.

_This wasn't supposed to happen… _

Tsung's eyes stared up at the Chosen One, his body quickly failing as a great black shadow screamed in agony inside of him. Like a bubble breaking, he felt the release of all the souls he owned and watched a blackness fill the air and dissipate.

His breath left him, a long lost name falling from his bloody lips.

_Soo Lin._

Then, Shang Tsung was gone.

/

Back on Earth, Sonya and Jax apprehended Kano, Johnny was trying to get a signal on his phone, and Rayden was walking away into the joyful crowd of monks at the Shaolin Temple. Liu hurried to follow up. "I guess you knew it would end this way?"

The Thunder God turned to him, his hands clasped behind his back. "I didn't have a clue." He smiled. "You humans are so unpredictable."

"I thought gods knew everything."

Rayden quirked an eyebrow at him before flicking a bit of lint from his robe, his eye catching the glint of his amulet in the sunlight. For a second, he felt something… a flash of sadness and despair, a sense of mortality… then he was back in the present. "You think this is the only world I have to worry about?"

Thunder peeled and he returned to the heavens, a sense of homecoming hitting him more strongly than it had in a long time.

END!

_A/N: Hi all, I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to a ten year story in the making. Totally couldn't have happened without the brilliant minds behind the MK2011 story mode (sorry, I saw the video and it just made for the perfect ending). I know I am THRILLED to be able to put COMPLETE on this. Wow, I never thought I would get it done. Thank you for the reviews and the followings, and I wish you the best in future endeavors. This will likely be the last MK story for me, but you never know. I go where the Muse sends me. _

_Happy Labor Day!_


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